The Montreal Canadiens gave fans plenty to cheer about Tuesday night, earning a overtime win over the Seattle Kraken in their home opener at the Bell Centre — but the most powerful moment came before the puck even dropped.

Emotional tribute before puck drop

The evening opened with a moving tribute to one of the franchise’s greatest legends, Ken Dryden, who died on Sept. 5 at age 78 after a battle with cancer.

A tribute video played on the Bell Centre scoreboard, featuring highlights from his career.

A goalie mask was also placed atop an empty net on the ice, while a flag bearing his retired No. 29 was illuminated in the rafters.

Some of Dryden’s former Canadiens teammates stood behind the bench during the tribute and joined the crowd in saluting the Hall of Famer.

Strong start powers

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