When in Montréal, Do as the Montréalers Do
Montréal, Quebec, looks like a perfect, picturesque postcard in the winter. The rivers are frozen, the sidewalks and roofs are snow-covered, and Old Town is lit up by white twinkle lights, with the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal in the background.
In January 2024, my friends and I traveled to Canada from all over the United States to follow our favorite hockey team, the Colorado Avalanche. Our trip started in Toronto, continued to Montréal, and finished in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. Fun fact: The Avalanche actually started as a Canadian team in the same province as the Canadiens, Montréal’s home team, but in Québec City as the Nordiques.
Getting to and around Montréal is easy. It has an international airport a few minutes outside the city and a train station in the city center. My group booked business-class seats on Via Rail, the national railroad company, for $100 Canadian per ticket, roughly $ 73 USD at the time of this piece. The price included breakfast and lunch on the six-hour ride from Toronto and comfortable seats and beautiful scenery with the kindest train attendant, Claude. Besides Claude, my favorite part of the train journey was arriving at the train station, which was connected to the Montréal Metro from the inside. The metro took us to a station with another inside connection to our hotel through a shopping mall. It may sound confusing, but we never had to go outside from the train to our hotel, Le Westin. It’s convenient when you are not used to the brutal cold.
You can quickly get around Montréal using the magical, interconnected passages between places of interest and the city’s metro system; think Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. The Montréal Metro is between 39 and 50 feet below street level and runs on wheels, not tracks, so it can still function during the winter months. Also, on hockey nights, there is a not-so-secret underground entrance and exit to the Centre Bell from the metro stop Bonaventure. Tip for after the game: If you get claustrophobic, take an Uber or walk to your hotel. To say it is a tight squeeze on the metro is putting it mildly.
January is the coldest month in Montréal, with an average temperature of 16 degrees Fahrenheit and 13 snow days. However, on January 15, 2024, while my friends and I were in town, Montréal was in the middle of a polar vortex. Daily high temperatures reached -8 degrees Fahrenheit and included thundersnow storms, something I never knew existed. While local Québécois barely notice when they happen, each experience gripped my friends and me.
After understanding how cold it will be, the next thing you need to know before visiting is that French is the official language. All of the signs are written in French, and only some have the English translation underneath. One of my main tips when visiting a country with a foreign language is to have a little notebook (like this one from Moleskine) or a notes app (Good Notes is my favorite) on your phone with keywords and phrases you might need with the definitions and written phonetically. The question, “Where is the bathroom (Où sont les toilettes)?” is always high on my list of phrases to know. Also, a little bit of French will help at a hockey game when ordering poutine or a Molson.
Montréal is home to the Canadiens, also known as the Habs. The team was founded in 1909 and is part of the “Original Six” hockey teams of the National Hockey League, which was established in 1917. The team has a storied history with great success and dozens of household names. The Habs have won 24 Stanley Cups, the most in the League, and 24 division championships, also the most in the League. Additionally, they have 58 players in the Hockey Hall of Fame, just behind rivals and another “Original Six” member, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The team’s home ice arena is called the “Centre Bell.” It opened its doors for the first Canadiens game against another “Original Six” team, the New York Rangers, on March 16, 1996. It replaced the long-standing home ice, the Montréal Forum, built in 1924. The Centre Bell is also the heart of downtown Montréal on the aptly named Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal. It can seat 21,000 people over two levels of coliseum-style seating, creating an electric atmosphere on game nights. Additionally, while Montréal is home to one of the new “Original Six” Women’s Professional Hockey League (WPHL) teams, they play at a separate arena named the “Place Bell.”
Another tip while visiting Montréal: Be a Canadiens fan. Let’s just say that real Canadiens fans are zealous advocates of their team, even when the team is down—some might even call them rabid. Each member of our group bought some Canadiens gear to blend in with the locals. Trust us; it will make the game a lot more fun.
Hockey games at the Centre Bell are extraordinary. The atmosphere of anticipation and excitement around each game is contagious and creates an incredible environment for all fans. Each team store in the arena is packed with fans looking for their favorite player’s sweater, a commemorative gameday puck, or a rubber duck named Youppi!. Fan favorite DJ Wordy Word spins at every home game, fashioning a concert-like vibe before puck drops and during breaks. There is also a classic three-tiered organ masterfully played by Diane Bibaud, taking gameday goers’ ears back to earlier days of the sport.
There is not a bad seat in the arena. Not only does every seat have a great view of the ice, but if you are higher up like we were, the arena pipes in the noise from the ice so you can hear every hit, blade edge, and whistle. However, if you are weary of heights, consider spending more on tickets on the first level. Being up high on the second level is a different kind of experience, and it is not for the faint of heart. The bars in front of the seats are there for good reason.
Also, make sure you don’t skip getting poutine, a classic dish in Canada of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy, at the hockey game. While I’m no connoisseur, and I’m sure it is not considered “the best in the city,” it’s better than any stadium food I’ve had. But make sure you have a credit or debit card on hand, as they do not take cash anywhere in Centre Bell.
This may have been my first trip to Montréal, but it certainly will not be my last, even with the Avalanche losing the game. Montréalers are incredibly welcoming, easy to get along with, and helpful. The metro system makes the city easy to navigate for the directionally challenged. And the food? C’est super! Montréal is also stunning and offers more than just hockey games, which I cannot wait to discover next time. It is currently number one as my favorite Canadian city and should be on everyone’s short list of places to visit.