Players over the years have sometimes fraternized with fierce rivals, even John Ferguson. Here, Ferguson and Ralph Backstrom reminisce with an unidentified Boston Bruin player about that time when the Bruins thought they were almost as classy as Montreal. Hilarity ensued for several minutes until Fergy had had enough and punched the Bruin player’s lights [...]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone. On this day you’re an Irishman no matter what your roots are, and that’s a good thing. Except for the hangover you might have tomorrow morning. I’ve talked many times about the Richard Riot that took place on March 17, 1955, and today, instead of going on about what [...]

Take your mind back, back to the summer of 2009, when Bob Gainey ruined our team? June and July of that year were when Montreal traded for Scott Gomez and brought in UFA’s Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri. I was excited at the time, mainly because the Canadiens needed fresh blood, and I’ve been an [...]

I recently mentioned that Robert Lefebvre has a new book out, his first, called Tales From the Montreal Canadiens Locker Room, and below is a recent chat I had with Robert regarding his thoughts behind the process. And if anyone has their own questions for Robert, feel free, as he’s agreed to answer them in [...]

It began again yesterday - Battered and Bruised - after a two year absence, and it continues today. My Habs scrapbook, put together by my dad and I when I was young. And again, the photos enlarge when clicked on.   RSS 2.0

I got lost on my way to MLB spring training in Florida and ended up in the Yukon. I was too hungover on the days I’d planned on attending CFL camp. Manchester United’s letter never seemed to have made it. I was going to be a gymnast in the London Olympics until I found out it’s next month and [...]

Ralph Backstrom, a great Hab, a tremendous skater, and the player I tried to copy when I was young. Although it didn’t help. What’s he up to now? Huge thanks to my buddy Mel St. Onge in Orillia for sending me this terrific news clip from Colorado.

I worked way too hard one Orillia summer, a 15 year old with my buddy Ron Clarke, hauling creosote-soaked railway ties a hundred feet to the shoreline so these evil things could be pounded into place to make some sort of breakwater. The job paid $1.75 an hour, and by the end of August I’d saved enough money to buy a pair of C.C.M. [...]

Word has come down that the Orillia Community Centre, after 61 years as home to skaters and shooters and wrestlers and fall fairs, will be flattened and I don’t mind saying, I’m quite upset about this. It’s not that old, is it? The Orillia Arena, in the heart of the city, is where I learned to skate. It’s [...]

I don’t know how often this has ever been in circulation, but it’s one of most greatest ten minutes of hockey clips you’ll ever see. It’s from 1967, the quality is sensational, like it was filmed today, and we see Jean Beliveau, as smooth as smooth can be, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Jacques Laperriere, Terry Harper, Ralph [...]