Puck pilgrimage

It was a bleu, blanc et rouge takeover inside the Canada Life Centre on Feb. 4.

The Jets may be royalty around these parts, but on that night, their home rink was packed with Montreal Canadiens fans who watched the Original Six NHL team cruise to a 5-1 victory.

“Yeah, that’s pretty disappointing,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said at the time, referring to the crowd. “That’s probably the worst that I’ve seen it in my four years back here, tonight.”

The Tampa Bay Lightning experienced a similar invasion last Sunday in Game 7 of its first-round playoff battle against Montreal — and, improbably, the Canadiens rewarded their well-travelled supporters with a 2-1 win despite managing just nine (!) shots on goal.

When the Jets are rolling — which, clearly, they were not this season — the barn on Portage Avenue boasts one of the best atmospheres in the entire NHL. But for Manitobans who won’t let their area code get in the way of rooting for their beloved Habitants, a trip to Montreal for the ultimate hockey weekend is a must.

Whether you’re headed there now to chant “Olé, Olé, Olé” on their current playoff run or holding off until the 2026-27 campaign, here are a few suggestions to make the most of your experience.

Bell Centre tour

The Bell Centre is the biggest hockey arena in North America, and you can explore most of it with a guided tour ($25 for adults, $20 for seniors and youth, and free for children).

Make sure to be taken to the Habs Alumni Lounge — an exclusive, invite-only space for team legends and special guests on game days. That’s where you’ll find the captain’s wall that has framed paintings of every leader in La Sainte-Flanelle history — from Jack Laviolette to Nick Suzuki.

Take the elevator up to the press box — a gondola suspended from the rafters. It’s a true bird’s-eye view up there as it’s situated even higher than all 18 retired jersey banners.

Then head back down to visit the media room to see where head coach Martin St. Louis addresses droves of reporters after each home game.

It’s highly recommended to book a tour on a non-game day because you’ll get the chance to wrap things up by entering the Canadiens’ locker room. Walk along the plush red carpet and see the renowned “CH” entrenched in the centre of the circular room — no matter the time of day, there is always at least one light shining directly onto the iconic logo.

Above the players’ lockers are dozens and dozens of black-and-white portraits of all the team’s Hockey Hall of Fame inductees. There’s also a verse from the John McCrae poem In Flanders Fields on the wall that reads “To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high.”

The passage has been displayed in the home dressing room of the Canadiens since 1952. It was initially put up in the old Forum by then-GM Frank Selke Sr. and the verse — in both English and French — made its way to the Bell Centre when it opened in 1996.

But before you make your way past the metal sliding door to get up close to Habs winger Cole Caufield’s stall, you can pose for a photo next to the iconic display of 24 miniature Stanley Cups arrayed in four rows of six and encased behind glass to represent each of Les Glorieux’s record number of cup wins.

To and from the dressing room, players have no choice but to walk past the display and be hit with a stark reminder of what it means to be a Canadiens player.

 

Centennial Plaza and the old Forum

You’ll want to spend some time at Centennial Plaza outside the Bell Centre to say hello to Howie Morenz, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Jean Béliveau and Guy Lafleur.

These four Habs icons were honoured with these life-size bronze statues back in 2008 to celebrate the team’s 100-year anniversary. It’s a shame the Canadiens’ Hall of Fame at the arena closed more than a decade ago, but the plaza — which also features plaques for each championship-winning team — succeeds at underscoring the hockey club’s rich history.

As for where most of that history took place, you can take a half-hour stroll or hop in a car and drive 10 minutes to see the most storied building in hockey history.

Temper your expectations, though.

The old Montreal Forum — a place where the Canadiens won 22 of their 24 titles — is now nearly unrecognizable and operates primarily as a movie theatre. The building is also home to a satellite campus for Dawson College and an Anytime Fitness location.

That said, it’s still worthy of a quick stop for hockey history lovers. There’s a hallway on the second floor lined with replica jersey banners, original arena seats and framed team photos.

There’s another slice of history across the street at Cabot Square. That’s where an estimated 6,000 Habs fans gathered for the start of the “Richard Riot” on March 17, 1955, to protest Maurice Richard’s season-long suspension for punching a linesman.

 

Where to eat

There’s nothing more Canadian than hockey and poutine.

If you want to go where the locals go, satisfy your french fry, cheese curd and gravy craving at Restaurant Chez Claudette.

This greasy spoon has been a fixture in Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood since 1982 and is one of the best spots in the country for our unofficial national dish.

The eatery sits on the corner of an unassuming street and has a bright-yellow exterior with a chipped and faded mural of “Rocket” Richard to the left of the entrance. The inside is decorated with faux-brick wallpaper and pictures of stars from the past like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. Stroll past the lunch counter, sit in a maroon-hued leather booth in desperate need of some reupholstering and flip through a French language-only menu featuring more than 40 different variations of poutine.

If you’re with a partner, share a classic poutine to get a true appreciation for Chez Claudette’s quality, plus one with additional toppings, like the “Marilyn” with beef, bacon and onions, to get the best of both worlds. Their clubhouse sandwich is a big hit as well.

For another life-changing poutine experience far off the tourist path, travel to Restaurant Paulo et Suzanne. It has that vintage 1950s diner vibe — even though it opened in 1980 — and features illustrations on the walls to honour not only the Canadiens, but also the Montreal Expos baseball team.

Open 24 hours on weekends and located in the Bordeaux-Cartierville neighbourhood, Paulo et Suzanne’s Le Colosse burger — topped with Philly steak, jalapeño Havarti, Swiss and cheddar cheese, plus hot peppers, pickles, lettuce, sour-cream-and-onion chips and southwest sauce — was recognized nationally by Le Burger Week. Their poutines, featuring a mountain of squeaky curds, also belong in the conversation with Chez Claudette for the crown.

And of course, you can never go wrong with a world-famous smoked-meat sandwich at Schwartz’s Deli on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, or an equally famous hand-rolled, wood-fired Montreal bagel at St-Viateur Bagel in the Mile End neighbourhood.

 

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