Habs Centenniallogo

This is a very wistful year for me and it likely won’t be the last post I write on this subject. This year marks the 100th season of existence of the Montreal Canadiens existence. My name is not being immortalized in Centennial Plaza. I’m not getting the opportunity to see the Bell Centre’s new “Ring of Honor.” And the man who first inspired me (albeit indirectly inspired me) to become a Habs fan 21 years ago, Patrick Roy, is having his jersey retired on November 22.

You see, my enthusiasm for the Habs was as cursory as could be for someone growing up in Hartford Whalers territory. But going to McGill changed all that. The ability for me to see my favourite team in home market changed how I perceived the game, changed how I perceived my team, and changed what I understood about the interlinked relationship between Les Habitants and the City of Montreal. In fact, I even wrote a term paper on the history of Hockey and its relationship to Canada.

If I’m lucky, I’ll even get to go see a game here in New York this year. But after getting to discover the depth of the game, it’s really going to be a sad season that I won’t be there to enjoy any of it. My best hope is that the Habs even get to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 16 seasons.