I will preface this article by admitting to readers that I grew up a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
A recent showing of The Hockey Sweater at the Patricia Theatre rang especially true for me when I flashed back to my own experience as a young player growing up in Calgary.
In the film, Roch Carrier wore out his Montreal Canadiens sweater and his mother replaced it with, not just any sweater, but a Maple Leafs sweater. Mon Dieu!
For me, my Leaf sweater was also beyond repair and for Christmas I received a brand new Boston Bruins sweater. There must have been a sale of the pre-Bobby Orr sweaters because Boston was always sixth in the, then, six-team league.
Having said that, the Bruins sweater was wearable because as a Leafs’ fan, had the replacement been a Montreal sweater it most definitely would have gone back.
I’m much, much older and wiser now and after the defection of my favourite Leafs player, Dick Duff, to the Canadiens I grew to appreciate the game more than an individual player.
That’s why the Canadiens’ alumni is such a big deal and why the organization thrives beyond its army of fans.
Historically, the Canadiens are the envy of all other franchises.
Founded in 1909, they are the longest operating professional hockey team and one of the oldest North American professional sport franchises.
They have hoisted the cup 24 times and since the Stanley Cup has gone to professionals in 1927 they have won it 22 times, 25 per cent of the total opportunities.
Through it all they have only slightly altered the logo which is the classic “C” and “H”, which stand for Canadiens and Hockey, not Habitants as some think.
The nickname “Habs” was first coined by American Tex Ricard, owner of Madison Square Garden, in 1924 who apparently and mistakenly told a reporter that the “H” was for Habitants.
Along with the iconic crest came a motto: “To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.”
It is from In Flanders Fields, written by John McCrae in 1915, the year the Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship and they use it frequently to charge up the fans in pre-game ceremonies.
Everything about the Canadiens is historical from the players, the owners, coaches, broadcasters and even the anthem singers.
Names like Roger Doucet, Rene Lecavalier, Danny Gallivan’s “cannonading drive” and “scintillating save” and Pierre Houde’s “Le tir, ET LE BUT!” (“A shot, AND A GOAL!”) still resonate clearly.
When a university professor wrote to Gallivan protesting that there was no such word as cannonading, Gallivan wrote back: “There is now.”
The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is filled with Canadiens and enough memorabilia to fill the old Montreal Forum.
It’s a legendary organization that continues to grow legs and because of that and their widespread fan base the alumni still attracts fans of all ages.
On March 28 Canadiens and hockey fans will get a chance to rub shoulders with the alumni and take in a game versus Powell River Regal Oldtimers.
Coached by Hall-of-Famer Guy LaFleur, the 11-player lineup could include greats like Guy Carbonneau, Steve Shutt, Patrice Brisebois, Shayne Corson, Chris Nilan, Dave Morissettee, Steve Bégin, Sergio Momesso, Mathieu Darche, Gilbert Delorme, Jocelyn Lemieux, Richard Sevigny, Sébastien Bordeleau, Pierre Dagenais, Jesse Bélanger, Normand Dupont, Stéphane Richer, Yvon Lambert, Donald Audette, Yves Racine, Steve Penney, Enrico Ciccone, John Chabot, Mathieu Dandenault, Karl Dykhuis, Alain Côté, Gilles Thibaudeau, Rick Green and Guillaume Latendresse.
So dig out your sweater, be it Montreal, another National Hockey League team or maybe even Regal and celebrate an evening of memories and hockey with the Canadiens and our home-grown Oldtimers starting at 7 pm Saturday, March 28, at Hap Parker Arena.
