The Montreal Canadiens, officially known as Club de hockey Canadien, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. Colloquially known as the Habs, they compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide, and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the league.
One of sport's oldest and most recognizable logos, the classic 'C' and 'H' of the Montreal Canadiens was first used together in the 1917-18 season, when the club changed its name to "Club de hockey Canadien" from "Club athlétique Canadien", before evolving to its current form in 1952-53.
Let's delve into the history of this iconic emblem and explore the evolution of the Montreal Canadiens logo over the years.
Early Years and Formation
The Montreal Canadiens were founded by J. Ambrose O'Brien on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the National Hockey Association (NHA), the forerunner to the National Hockey League. It was to be the team of the francophone community in Montreal, composed of francophone players, and under francophone ownership as soon as possible. The founders named the team "Les Canadiens", a term identified at the time with French speakers. The team's inaugural season was not a success, as they placed last in the league.
The original shirt of the 1909-10 season was blue with a white C. The second season had a red shirt featuring a green maple leaf with the C logo, and green pants. Since 1911, the team's primary colours are blue, white and red.
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The Iconic "CH" Logo
Do you know what the "H" stands for in the logo? Habs? Nope! The "H" stands for "hockey", not "Habitants", a popular misconception.
In Quebec history, habitants were francophone settlers who farmed the land along both shores of the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. As a nickname for the hockey team, "Habitants" is attested in French on 9 February 1914 in a report in Le Devoir of a 9-3 win over Toronto. According to About.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard, owner of the Madison Square Garden, in 1924.
Uniform Evolution and Special Editions
The home sweater is predominantly red in colour and features four blue and white stripes: one across each arm, one across the chest and the other across the waistline. The main road sweater is white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves, and red shoulder yokes. As of 2015, the Canadiens' home red sweater is the only uniform in the league to feature the French language version of the NHL shield logo (LNH) on the neck collar, in acknowledgment of Montreal's French Canadian heritage.
Throughout the years, the Canadiens have introduced various alternate jerseys and commemorative designs. Here are a few notable examples:
- 2003 Heritage Classic: The Canadiens wore this uniform in the NHL's first-ever regular season outdoor game in Edmonton.
- 2006-07: For the 2006-07 season, the Canadiens wore replicas of their 1944-47 white jerseys as their full-fledged alternates.
- 2008-10 100th Anniversary: The Canadiens celebrate their 100th anniversary over the course of two seasons, in which they would wear replicas of five uniforms from earlier eras of team history. In the 2008-09 season, they threw it back to 1945-46, 1915-16 and 1912-13.
- 2021 Reverse Retro: Even though the Canadiens' Reverse Retro entry is officially from 1977, it might as well be from their current set since they never change their uniforms (as they should never do).
In the 2020-21 season, the Canadiens unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform in collaboration with Adidas. This period also saw the introduction of corporate sponsor advertising across NHL-sanctioned equipment, starting with helmet ads and followed by front jersey patches on gameday uniforms.
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For the first time since the mid-1970s, the Canadiens break out the tie-down collars -- although nowadays, the tie-down is just for show. Below the neckline on their home jerseys, the team is wearing the league's French LNH crest.
The History of the Montreal Canadiens
Centennial Seasons and Special Editions
To commemorate their centennial, the Canadiens wore replicas of five uniforms from earlier eras of team history over two seasons. In the 2008-09 season, they showcased jerseys from 1945-46, 1915-16, and 1912-13.
Team Culture and Traditions
The Canadiens' colours are a readily identifiable aspect of French Canadian culture. To you from failing hands we throw the torch. The motto is from the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, which was written in 1915, the year before the Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship.
Beginning in the 2004-05 season, the Canadiens adopted Youppi! as their official mascot, the first costumed mascot in their long history. In November 2022, the Canadiens introduced METAL!, an "unofficial official mascot", for the team's Reverse Retro series of games that season.
Rivalries and Broadcasts
The Canadiens have developed strong rivalries with two fellow Original Six franchises, with whom they frequently shared divisions and competed in postseason play. The oldest is with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who first faced the Canadiens as the Toronto Arenas in 1917. Montreal Canadiens games are broadcast locally in both the French and English languages.
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Retired Numbers and Hall of Fame
Collectively, the Canadiens have retired 15 numbers in honour of 18 players, the most of any team in the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens have an affiliation with a number of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Howie Morenz and Georges Vezina were the first Canadiens given the honour in 1945, while Shea Weber was the most recently inducted, in 2024. Along with players, a number of inductees from the builders category are affiliated with the club.
The Canadiens organization operates in both English and French.
Here’s a list of the last five seasons completed by the Canadiens:
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 82 | 44 | 30 | 8 | 96 | 4th in Atlantic Division | Did not qualify |
| 2019-20 | 71 | 31 | 31 | 9 | 71 | 5th in Atlantic Division | Lost in First Round |
| 2020-21 | 56 | 24 | 21 | 11 | 59 | 4th in North Division | Lost in Stanley Cup Final |
| 2021-22 | 82 | 22 | 49 | 11 | 55 | 8th in Atlantic Division | Did not qualify |
| 2022-23 | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 68 | 7th in Atlantic Division | Did not qualify |