Centre Bell

Centre Bell Review

The Montréal Canadiens haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1993, and most of the team's fans can't remember the golden 1960s and '70s when Les Glorieux virtually owned the trophy. The superstitious blame the team's fallen fortunes on its 1996 move from the hallowed Forum to the brown-brick Centre Bell arena. Still, Montréal is a hockey-mad city and the Habs, as locals call the team, are still demigods here. When they celebrated their 100th season in 2009-10, the city changed the name of the strip of rue de la Gauchetière in front of the Centre Bell to av des Canadiens-de-Montréal. Don't miss the square on the west side of the arena, which has been turned into a shrine to the team's glorious history, with plaques commemorating the Canadiens' record 24 Stanley Cups and life-size action statues of such hockey heroes as Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Guy Lafleur.

Montréal Canadiens Hall of Fame. The team opened the 10,000-square-foot museum inside the Centre Bell, where you can view relics of the team's past and even visit a replica of the Habs' 1976-77 locker room. The Hall of Fame also organizes tours of the Centre Bell (C$6), complete with a visit to the alumni lounge, press gallery, and, depending on the schedule, the current dressing room. It's wise to call in advance to make sure tours will be operating as they're sometimes postponed on short notice. 1909 av. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, H4B 5G0. 514/925-7777. hall.canadiens.com. C$11. Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Sun. noon-5. On game days doors close two hours before beginning of game. Bonaventure.