The story behind Chris Kreider's surprise Canadiens signing is not what many expected

Chris Kreider reached out to the Montreal Canadiens before they reached out to him, according to president Jeff Gorton, who addressed the surprising free agent signing Monday at the team's annual golf tournament.

Gorton told reporters how the one year, $2.15 million deal with Kreider came together over the weekend, and he made clear the Canadiens weren't chasing him from the start.

He said he wasn't expecting Kreider to become available, but once he did, Montreal saw a roster fit right away.

Size, speed and a strong playoff resume all stood out.

Kreider became a free agent after the Anaheim Ducks placed him on waivers to terminate his contract, and it didn't take long for his name to land in Montreal.

Gorton said once Kreider called and told the Canadiens he wanted to come to Montreal and liked the group, the front office got excited fast.

That makes sense given the connections already in place.

Gorton was Kreider's general manager for six seasons with the Rangers, head coach Martin St. Louis played alongside him for two years, and longtime athletic therapist Jim Ramsay also made the jump from New York to Montreal.

Kreider reportedly had a handful of teams interested, but the comfort level with St. Louis and the history with Gorton pushed Montreal ahead of the pack.

He is coming off a season with 22 goals and 28 assists in 75 games with Anaheim, and he's reached 20 goals in eight straight seasons.

At 35, Kreider still offers size and scoring touch that Montreal doesn't have much of on its wing.

The fit looks natural on paper, and now it's just a matter of seeing how quickly he settles into a new room.

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