Here we are. Today marks the 30e anniversary of the Canadiens’ last Stanley Cup conquest. In life, it’s short and quick in time. It reminds us that the years pass at lightning speed. But in the Canadian world, 30 years without a haircut is an eternity.
At first, we were counting the years, thinking that the cup would come back to Montreal at some point. We knew that the Canadian no longer formed a dynasty and that he was no longer above the fray. The organization had become one like the others.
But we had confidence because the CH was the CH. We made it a personal matter. Because, as the song says, the Canadian is a part of us. You don’t have to be a fan to know that the Canadian is an institution that is compared to a religion.
Everyone knows the Canadian.
The Canadiens are more unifying than anything else in Montreal. It’s the one thing that unites almost all of us, of all origins.
It was in the bag!
This atmosphere floated in the Forum on the evening of June 9, 1993. Joy reigned around the building before the match. Many of the people there did not have tickets. But they were there because they knew it was the big night.
The Canadian could not miss such a great opportunity to win the famous cup in front of his world.
June 9, 1993 is rooted in Montreal and Quebec sports history. Those who are old enough to remember will tell you where they were when the Canadiens players jumped on the ice to the sound of the final siren that distinguished the Forum from the other National League amphitheatres.
Photo courtesy, Richard Matte
It’s the only thing that moved to the Bell Center, by the way.
The ghosts remained in the Forum, as if they did not agree to be part of what is called progress. One of them, Maurice Richard accompanied by his dear Lucille, would not have wanted to miss this 24e conquest of the Holy Grail.
There was a bit of him in this victory. There was also a bit of all the other old timers that were there that night. Jean Béliveau, Dickie Moore, Henri Richard, Serge Savard, Jacques Lemaire.
Patrick Roy, Guy Carbonneau, Vincent Damphousse, Éric Desjardins and the many other Quebec players who were members of this champion edition knew what their big names represented.
Anglophones like Kirk Muller, Brian Bellows, Lyle Odelein and John LeClair also knew the history of the organization.
The great unifier
All were chasing the same goal: to win the Stanley Cup.
The head of this unit was Jacques Demers.
In training camp, they had told his players that they were capable of achieving great things. Like winning the cup. The players looked at each other wondering what had prompted their new coach to make such a statement.
We are not talking about the Stanley Cup in September.
When the big moment came, the players all embraced Demers as if he were their father.
Jacques Demers, this little guy from Côte-des-Neiges who had had an unhappy childhood, had just made a brilliant demonstration that nothing is impossible for someone who raises his head.
The shadow of the painting
But in the streets surrounding the Forum, some scatterbrained people began to smash everything in their path.
Party busters of the worst kind!
It gave us a nice leg.
The photos went around America.
It’s funny, the following year in New York, the first Rangers championship in 54 years was celebrated without a gang of thugs spoiling the party.
It must be said that the number of police who surrounded Madison Square Garden, people had better keep quiet. There were salad baskets everywhere.
Meanwhile in Vancouver, the Canucks’ loss to the Rangers led to the worst riot in the city’s history.
When we say that hockey is a passion in Canada.
It’s driving Canadians crazy!
As well as a Canadian team not winning the cup.
What will it be when it’s gonna happen next?