In the summer of 2004, he was invited to the Canadiens' training camp and signed a three-year deal with the club.[2] He was subsequently assigned to the Canadiens' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, for the 2004–05 season. He scored his first goal with Hamilton in his first game, on 15 October 2004,[citation needed] and finished the season with 23 points in 66 games.