Montreal Canadiens’ Sean Monahan undergoes season-ending groin surgery

The Montreal Canadiens announced that forward Sean Monahan had undergone season-ending groin surgery.

About a month ago, general manager Kent Hughes broke the news that Monahan suffered a new injury while rehabilitating a lower-body injury he sustained on Dec. 5 against the Vancouver Canucks. Monahan registered a goal that night against the Canucks in a 7-6 overtime loss and has yet to play since. 

The 28-year-old has registered 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 25 games with the Canadiens this season in what looked like a resurgence year for the Brampton product. Prior to joining the Canadiens, he spent nine seasons with the Calgary Flames. For seven straight seasons, he notched 20-plus goals consistently and hit the 30-goal mark three times, setting a career-high 34 goals in 2018-19 before a plethora of injuries plagued him. 

Last summer, Monahan and a 2025 first-round pick were traded to the Canadiens in exchange for future considerations. Monahan is in the final year of a seven-year, $44,625,000 contract he signed with the Flames in 2016. His contract holds a cap hit of $6,375,000; he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. 

Additionally, the Canadiens announced that forward Alex Belzile would miss the rest of the season following a leg fracture he sustained in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 31-year-old emerged as a dark horse bottom-six forward for the Canadiens while they have been plagued with injuries all season long. Belzile notched his first career NHL goal against the Edmonton Oilers back in February; he became the oldest Canadiens player to achieve that milestone since Herb Gardiner did it at age 35 in 1926. Belzile registered 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 31 games this season.