Under Pressure: Montreal's Pursuit of their 25th Stanley Cup

There are very few professional sports teams that bear the enormous pressure the "Bleu, Blanc and Rouge" face each and every season. With 24 Stanley Cups, 42 Hall-of-Famers and 13 retired numbers, the Montreal Canadiens are hockey's most storied franchise. From the famous childhood book "The Sweater" to the new Canadiens centennial DVD, the Montreal Canadiens have produced some of the greatest players of all-time and have been part of some of the most memorable games in NHL history. This season, the pressure to win their 25th Stanley Cup has reached its climax as the Habs celebrate their 100th birthday. The team has embarked on a season-long journey in hopes of ending their birthday celebration with a bang... raising their 25th Stanley Cup banner high into the Bell Centre rafters. Only time will tell if the ghosts of the Bell Centre will guide the Canadiens to what could be a very magical season... one thing is for sure- the entire hockey world will be watching. And to make sure they do, they've purchased the biggest TV scoreboard in hockey for the entire world to watch them celebrate.

The Canadiens certainly know how to throw a birthday bash with all the bells and whistles. A Canadiens Hall of Fame in the Bell Centre, DVD box sets, commemorative coins, stamps, the launch of Centennial Plaza, hosting the 2009 All-Star game and 2009 NHL Entry draft, numerous jersey retirement nights, and the opening of a $500,000 state-of-the-art outdoor hockey rink are just some of the birthday celebrations. Heck, Hasbro has even joined the celebration and released a limited edition Canadiens Monopoly board game.

However, any Canadiens fan can tell you the only game they care about is the one played on the ice. With the pride associated with donning a Canadiens jersey also comes the pressure of playing in hockey’s hotbed. It was not that long ago when some Canadiens fans were booing their favorite team from the Bell Centre stands due to years of mediocrity throughout the mid to late 1990’s. Nevertheless, shortly after the turn of the 21^st century the Canadiens turned the page on mediocrity and ushered in a new era in Canadiens history. An era, that would hopefully see them raise yet another Stanley Cup giving the club a championship in every decade of their existence. The man who took over the helm and was expected to lead them to the promise land was Canadiens legend Bob Gainey. When Gainey was hired as Montreal’s new general manager in 2003 he promised Habs fans that the Canadiens would be a Stanley Cup contender by 2009…. and he certainly lived up to his word. After gradually rebuilding the Canadiens core, Montreal fans could be heard uttering, “In Bob we Trust”.

After capturing the Eastern Conference crown last season, Bob Gainey knew the Canadiens needed to make the next step and ‘go big or go home’ in 2008-09. Gainey brought in talented winger Alex Tanguay, heavyweight Georges Laraque, and veteran center Robert Lang to give the Canadiens a much needed injection of toughness and leadership. The moves are paying huge dividends so far as all three new arrivals are contributing to one of the best starts in Canadiens franchise history. What began as mere hope of being a contender for their birthday bash has quickly turned into a reality that has the potential of becoming a dream come true by season’s end for both the organization and its fans. If it was not clear to the NHL before this season, it should be by now: Montreal is the temple of hockey, and hockey is Montreal’s religion.

When the puck drops on the Habs official birthday (December 4th vs. the New York Rangers) there will be something special in the air. Every fan in attendance will take with them after the game the feeling of being part of history… and be able to forever say, "I was there."