The Montreal Canadiens did things well for this start-of-season ceremony. The club launched the season with a speech from actor Luc Picard, delivered directly from the stands.
“Good evening Montreal, my name is Luc Picard and I am an actor and director. Since I was little, I have always been a huge fan of the Canadian. I have always had this team in my blood. Over the years, I have experienced extraordinary moments with them,” he said.
“Moments that I shared with my friends, with my family, but also often with strangers. Strangers. Because that’s also what the Canadian is. The place where we can all experience the same things, at the same time, while being on the same side,” he then added.
When I see the team, I see the players, the coaches, but through the games, through the defeats, and through the victories, it’s us that I see. We, the craziest and most intense hockey crowd in the world.
Luc Picard
This speech then led to a superb video of a few minutes, entirely narrated in French by Luc Picard, which retraced the great moments – and the great players – in the history of the Canadian. With in particular Jean, Guy, Maurice and Patrick who obviously only need a first name to be identified.
The players finally appeared on the ice, to the sound of a symphonic version of Fix you by Coldplay. Of the lot, it was probably Patrik Laine who received the warmest ovation, roughly comparable to that received by Martin St-Louis just before. Otherwise, the usual players received the tribute from the public: Mike Matheson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Arber Xhekaj, David Savard and Samuel Montembeault.