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Canada’s Team, the Montreal Canadiens: A Special Run

July 10, 2021

By Blain Potvin

Once the North Division champs were decided, Canada, well, some of it, decided to back a team to bring the Cup back to Our Home and Native Land

National Monuments across the country started getting lit up Bleu, Blanc et Rouge in solidarity with the last remaining Canadian based franchise in the playoffs.

CN Tower

It began with the lighting up of the CN Tower in Toronto.

Tonight the #CNTower will be lit red, blue, and white for the @CanadiensMTL who will go on to represent Canada's hope for a 2021 @NHL Stanley Cup! pic.twitter.com/cEqsXqBefZ

— CN Tower / Tour CN (@TourCNTower) June 8, 2021

The Canadiens started the playoffs with a series win in the city of Toronto for the second straight season, a feat the Toronto Maple Leafs haven`t accomplished in almost 18 years. What makes that more painful for the Toronto fans in the city is that the Canadiens completed that feat in dramatic fashion, coming back from a three games to one deficit to knock out the heavily favored Maple Leafs in seven games.

Next up were the Winnipeg Jets. This was another series that the Canadiens were given no chance of winning. What followed however was an unexpected sweep of the heavily favored Winnipeg Jets. This series win crowned the Canadiens as the Kings of the North.

What should be made clear is that the CN Tower is not owned by the city of Toronto, but is federally owned. Regardless of this distinction, this action caused some expected backlash from some very irate locals who were still heartbroken by their home town team`s Stanley Cup dreams being crushed by their historic rivals. Like most passionate hockey fans, they aren`t likely to jump onto any rival`s bandwagon. Especially after watching their heroes lose a series in dramatic fashion.

I hope the Habs gets smashed by Vegas or Colorado. I don't care about "a Canadian team winning the cup". The Cup spends most of its time here anyways because all the good teams are loaded with Canadians. This is just stupid.

— Gracefully Cursed (@GracfullyCursed) June 9, 2021

Toronto City Hall

Adding insult to injury, Toronto city Hall followed suit by meeting the requirements of a bet between Mayors by flying the Canadiens colours

Well, Mayor @Val_Plante, a bet is a bet.

To complete my playoff bet on the @MapleLeafs with Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, I raised the @CanadiensMTL flag at Toronto City Hall today. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/rZnGNN6xmG

— John Tory (@JohnTory) June 10, 2021

It took Mayor Tory until after the Canadiens defeated the Jets in the second round to complete the bet with Montreal`s mayor, which may have compounded the anger Toronto fans felt a day after the CN Tower was lit up in Habs colours.

Despite that, there is a large contingient of Canadiens fans in the city of Toronto who appreciated the gestures and will no doubt spend the summer reminding their friends and neighbors that this has happened.

Niagara Falls

Just as the Canadiens were about to start their Stanley Cup Semi Finals series against the top ranked Vegas Golden Knights another national monument went full Bleu, Blanc et Rouge, this time it was Niagara Falls.

In support of the @CanadiensMTL's pursuit of the Stanley Cup, as Canada’s last remaining team in the 2021 @NHL playoffs, the Canadian Horseshoe Falls will be illuminated tonight in Red, White and Blue from 9:30 to 10:00pm., the night before the team begins its next series. pic.twitter.com/BzwmRgbCoc

— Niagara Parks (@NiagaraParks) June 13, 2021

While this predictably generated more anger on amongst the Toronto fan base, it did bring some other fanbases into the fun of following a Canadian team deep into the playoffs. Ottawa Senators fans joined in, even if it was only to relish the loss of their rival Maple Leafs.

I could care less about the Habs from here on, but anything that reminds Leafs Nation of what could have been is a win in my book 😋

— CrankyFrankClair🦋 (@CrankyClair) June 13, 2021

HMCS Montreal

The Canadian Armed Forces weren`t going to be left out. In the Royal Canadian Navy, there is a class of warship called the Halifax Class Frigate, and as is the tradition in Canada, this class of ship are all named after Canadian cities. Each ship keeps close ties with their namesake cities with visits by the crew and even the occasional visit by dignitaries from the city.

The City and the ship exchange gifts and when something occurs in the city, the ship helps. In 2017 the HMCS Montreal assisted in the containment and recovery efforts of the flooding in Montreal. This year, with the Canadiens fighting their way to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Commanding Officer and some Canadiens fans who belong to the crew sent their support for the hometown Habs.

My former unit #HMCSMontreal flying the namesake city #Canadiens colours supporting the @CanadiensMTL on this #StanleyCup playoff run!

Ton Bras Sait Porter L'Épée#WeTheNavy #THW #Habs #CH #GoHabsGo @HabsUnfiltered pic.twitter.com/xGRzE89rMO

— Blain Potvin (@BlainPotvin_THW) June 30, 2021

Regardless of what happened in the Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens being the first Canadian-based franchise to play in the Final since 2011 is something all hockey fans in Canada should enjoy. But, they should also wonder why it is, in the Salary Cap Era, that Canadian teams are rarely able to make it this deep in the playoffs. What is missing? One thing that isn’t missing in this playoff run, Canadiens fans enjoying their first Final appearance in 28 years.

About Blain Potvin

Blain is a freelance contributor at Recrutes . For over 7 years he has been a part time journalist and podcaster covering the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens and it's affiliates. He has been a contributor for various other websites and publications working as a staff writer and freelance journalist.  For over 7 years, he has been a trusted source due to his goal being to keep hockey fans entertained and informed with the most credible information available. He has made appearances on various radio stations and podcasts to discuss the Canadiens, and the NHL. He has taken the lessons on integrity, ethics, values and honesty that he has learned as a 28 year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and applied them to his work as a journalist to guide him in informing his readers.

View all posts by Blain Potvin

  • Pierre Fogal says

    July 11, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Very nice!

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