Recently retired former Canadiens defenseman PK Subban will be honored at the Bell Center when the Nashville Predators visit on January 12.
A pre-game ceremony will be organized on the ice before the initial face-off during this evening called “Return to the fold of PK Subban”, announced the Canadian Monday evening. The former defenseman, described by the organization as “one of the most electrifying players to have donned the uniform”, will then meet fans at the Tricolore Sports store at the Bell Centre.
“We are thrilled to welcome PK back to their first NHL home in January,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement.
We look forward to giving our fans the chance to celebrate his career and the impact he has had — and continues to have — on the Montreal community. Whether it’s the kids of local minor hockey teams who choose to wear number 76 or the number of fans we see every night at the Bell Center who still proudly wear their Subban jerseys, one doesn’t have to look far to understand the influence that PK had on the popularity of the sport in Quebec.
Geoff Molson, owner of the Montreal Canadiens
PK Subban announced on September 20 that he was officially retiring from hockey. The ex-CH, Predators and New Jersey Devils defenseman had a career full of ups and downs, with the highs mostly occurring from 2010 to 2016 when he wore the blue, white and red uniform .
During those years, he had 63 goals and 278 points in 434 games, adding 38 points in 55 playoff games. He notably won the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defender in the League, in 2013. Friction with management led to a brilliant transaction with the Predators in 2016. The Canadian had obtained, in return, defender Shea Weber.
The 33-year-old was part of the Predators’ success the following year, in 2017, helping them advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The following years were a little more difficult, as the Torontonian was slowed down by back pain. Last season, his last of an eight-year, $72 million contract signed with CH in 2014, he amassed 22 points in 77 games.
Beyond his work on the rink, Subban has left his mark on the Montreal community through the PK Subban Foundation and the Montreal Children’s Hospital.