When you walk through the hallowed halls of Bell Centre, you're greeted by a swath of legends. You see the Stanley Cup-winning legends that carefully crafted hockey into the exciting game that it is today. I'm talking about Maurice Richard and Carey Price leading the charge. Yes, we're not in the sunny climate of Los Angeles, Vegas Golden Knights fans.
This time, we're going from one Olympic city to another. We're heading to Montreal to check out the entire Canadiens experience, ranging from the national anthem to puck drop. On January 10, I had to bundle up and wear extra layers to watch the Canadiens take on the Detroit Red Wings.
Along the way, I met a group of friends (half of them were named Adam) that were celebrating their friend's 40th birthday. They were diehard Canadiens fans and would lightly jest at me for wearing a Dylan Larkin jersey. Still, they were good-hearted people and easy to talk to, asking about where I came from and what I was doing in Montreal.
While the Canadiens were shut out by the Red Wings, 4-0, the experience was still breathtaking. The history was seeping through my veins as I watched one of the most legendary franchises grace a hockey arena in Montreal. Here's a full-fledged guide on how you should tackle the trip to Montreal.
Getting to Montreal
I'm not the type of person who likes driving in the snow. That's why I moved from Michigan to Las Vegas, you know. That's also why I went to Montreal without renting a car. It wasn't worth wiping out in the middle of the road and crashing for one night.
I also took the overnighter and encountered a couple of delays from Air Canada in Toronto. There was also a terminal online couple and the dude. Wouldn't. Stop. Coughing. In. My. Ear. Bro, go to bed. You need the rest.
But aside from these inconveniences, the trip was excellent. Canadiens fans were hospitable and friendly, as is French-Canadian tradition. I might've had a Dylan Larkin jersey on. But it was light jabs and fun-hearted conversations between me and two guys.
Both were named Adam and they were celebrating their buddy's 40th birthday. They talked about how they took a tour of Bell Centre and got to see everything behind the scenes. That's something I will seriously undertake the next time I'm in Montreal...