Montreal Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak looks downward after giving up a goal in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, which gave the Flyers a 4-1 series victory in the NHL Eastern Conference final. (Matt Slocum/Associated Press)

The Montreal Canadiens plan to raise ticket prices, after a surprise playoff run that galvanized their fans and earned the hockey club's new owners millions of dollars in extra revenue just months after they purchased the team.

"We are fans but it's also been a very good start to the investment," Habs chairman Geoff Molson said Wednesday in a speech to the Montreal Board of Trade.

Molson declined to give specifics on how much profit the team earned from a playoff drama that included upsets of the top-seeded Washington Capitals and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canadiens were eventually eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference final Monday.

Published reports have estimated the team earned $3 million from each of its eight home games in the post-season. Fans also filled the Bell Centre to watch the Habs on giant TVs as they beat the Penguins in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal in Pittsburgh. The club played a total of 19 playoff games this year, compared with just four last year.

"All of Montreal and Quebec benefited from the success of the Canadiens," said Molson, noting how fan interest helped bars, restaurants and merchandise sales.

Price rise brewing

After the success this year, the Canadiens plan to raise ticket prices next season. "We will increase ticket prices but it is directly related to the growth of the economy," Molson told reporters.

Club president Pierre Boivin said prices will increase by more than three per cent on 80 per cent of seats at the Bell Centre, which like the team is owned by the group headed by brewery fortune heir Molson and his two brothers.

"We will never be as expensive as Toronto, and we want to be around Vancouver and Calgary," Boivin said.

The team will continue to offer 500 seats for young people at $10 each, and 5,000 seats at $35. It will also make 4,000 tickets available in September for each game throughout the season.

The Molson group reportedly paid $575 million US to purchase the team and the arena last year from George Gillett. The American businessman had paid $275 million US in 2001. Geoff Molson wouldn't say what percentage of the team his family owns.

New pressure to win

Boivin conceded that the club's management will face even more pressure from diehard fans to produce a winning club next season.

"When you get into the final four and you don't go the distance, it's like you've had a lollipop in your mouth and someone took it out — you want it back," he said.

The Habs aim to be among the top 10 of the league's 30 teams every year, Boivin said.

"It's like if [legendary former general manager] Sam Pollock had said during his reign we want to be one or two in the league every year," Boivin said, referring to a time when there were only six NHL teams.

Boivin said management will decide what changes are needed, but the team has proven that "most of the pieces are in place, and it all works and they fit."

He credited this season's success to decisions made on Gillett's watch. But he said the new ownership's 50 years of experience as previous owners of the Canadiens and involvement in the community will help the team move forward.

Geoff Molson described the playoffs as an incredible roller-coaster ride of emotions that ultimately proved to fans that the Habs are capable of winning a 25th Stanley Cup.

"There were moments when I was afraid of losing," he said. "There were moments when I was really happy to have won."