The Beginning

I was 8 years old when I saw my first Canadiens game. It was October, 1966. The Montreal Forum. The Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens. Bobby Orr's first game at the Forum.

see: http://bobbyorr.net/timeline/timeline%201960-1969.php

My father's team was Boston and after years of misery and wallowing in last place, the saviour had arrived. Bobby Orr would rescue the Bruins from the basement of ythe standings and bring them the Stanley Cup. Which he did of course, with the help of a few of his favourite friends - Phil Esposito, Gerry Cheevers, Wayne Cashman, the Big Bad Bruins would reach the Promised Land. And my Dad would be the happiest fellow in Montreal. 

But in 1966 I was a little boy more mesmerized by the hole in the ground that would soon become the Decarie Expressway than I was by an 18 year old boy wonder who would turn hockey upside down with his end-to-end rushes, pinpoint passing, and majestic slapshot.

see 1969 game:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8LkyGZiV8k

I loved hockey, but I also loved football, golf, and a new sport - baseball. The Montreal Expos were born only a few years later, and I would attend every game I could. Then in the summer of 1972, I received my first camera, a Yashica!, and I would go to the baseball game with my trusted little camera and take pictures. 

Not many people believe me, but I was in attendance in 1975, when the Canadiens played the Red Army in the now-famous 3-3 tie New Year's Eve game. The beauty of hockey was never better shown than on that night, as those two teams put on a spectacular display of speed, skill, and playmaking. It is fitting the game ended in a tie, because the real winners were the fans, who were treated to hockey at its best.

As I got older and other things took over my life, like getting an education and finding a job, I always came back to hockey, but in a different way. I am a proud Montrealer and a proud fan of the Montreal Canadiens. They are more than a mere hockey club. Few people outside of Quebec understand the [lace the team holds in Quebec society. They represent our dreams , wishes, and hope for the future. We celebrate each win, and wallow in misery with each loss. There are few places where a team holds such a significant place in a population. 

I understand the history of the team.  I want to bring this history to the new generations of fans. I read Red Fisher in the Montreal Gazette every day. I miss his perspective and his ability to place things in context. Some rookie sensation this year must be evaluated against the long history of great players, and the ability to be patient, time-consuming, reviewing the qualities of a player before he is proclaimed the "greatest ever".  We are too quick to pass judgment and render a verdict. P'K' Subban may one day become an excellent player, but that is at least four or five years away. Alex Galchenyuk is off to a promising start and demonstrates enormous potential, but he is still only a rookie with years of learning ahead of him.


I am an old-style fan. I long for the organ at the Bell Centre, not hip hop music. I want less noise, more quiet time. I want lower prices, and more affordable seats. A family should be able to attend a game without having to take out a bank loan in order to buy tickets.

This is what I believe. It is what I bring to the job.

More to follow...