Canadiens owners through the years

December 4, 1909
During a meeting of the National Hockey Association (NHA), held in Room 129 of the Windsor Hotel, the Canadiens are founded by J. Ambrose O'Brien, a sportsman from Ottawa, with financial support from another magnate of the time, T.C. Hare. The latter providing the $1,000 required for the formation of a team as well as the $5,000 to guarantee the players' salaries. Mr. O'Brien delegates the task of forming and managing this new, largely francophone team, to Jack Laviolette.

November 12, 1910
The NHA grants the Canadiens franchise to George Kendall-Kenndy and the club officially becomes Club Athlétique Canadien, a name it retains until 1917.

November 3, 1921
Upon the death of her husband, Mrs. Kennedy sells Club de Hockey Canadien to Léo Dandurand, Jos. Cattarinich and Louis A. Létourneau for the sum of $11,500.

September 17, 1935
Jos. Cattarinich and Léo Dandurand, sole owners of the Canadiens since the departure of Louis A. Létourneau in 1931, sell the club to the Canadian Arena Company for $165,000. The latter, property of Senator Donat Raymond, already owns the Montreal Maroons. A syndicate is appointed composed of Ernest Savard, president, as well as Maurice Forget and Louis Gélinas as principle directors to manage the Canadiens.

May 1940
The Canadian Arena Company and its president, Senator Donat Raymond, as well as its vice-president, William Northey, take over the management of the Montreal Canadiens. Two years earlier, the Maroons had ceased operations.

September 24, 1957
Senator Hartland de M. Molson and his brother, Thomas H.P. Molson, purchase Club de Hockey Canadien and the Canadian Arena Company.

May 15, 1964
Senator Hartland de M. Molson and his brother Thomas H.P. Molson sell Club de Hockey Canadien and the Canadian Arena Company to their cousins, J. David, William A. and Peter B. Molson for approximately $5 million.

December 30, 1971
Brothers J. David, William A. and Peter B. Molson sell the Canadian Arena Company and Club de Hockey Canadien to Placements Rondelle Ltée for approximately $15million. The consortium, whose main shareholders are brothers Peter and Edward Bronfman, will later become Carena Bancorp.

August 4, 1978
Molson Breweries of Canada Ltd., under the terms of an agreement with Carena Bancorp, acquire Club de Hockey Canadien and sign a long-term lease on the Forum covering the operation of the team as well as the entertainment division.

January 31, 2001
Molson Inc. announces the acquistion of 80,1% of the Club de hockey Canadien and 100% of the Molson Centre to businessman George N. Gillett Jr. The deal is valued at $275 million. Molson Inc. retains 19,9% stake in the hockey team. The transaction is approved by the NHL board of Governors on June 19, 2001.

Source: ourhistory.canadiens.com

MONTREAL – George N. Gillett Jr and Geoff Molson announced today that they have reached an agreement in principle for the sale of the Gillett family's interests in the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club, the Bell Centre and Gillett Entertainment Group. They will hold a news conference as soon as the agreement is finalized.

Mr. Gillett was very appreciative of the extraordinary interest shown by a number of parties in the Montreal Canadiens, and acknowledged the fine work accomplished by the organization's management over the past eight years.

Congratulating and thanking Mr. Molson for the winning bid, Mr. Gillett said that he was pleased to return the ownership of the Canadiens to the Molson family, a family that has been associated with the Club for over three generations and committed to the Montreal community for seven generations over a 223 year period.