The ultimate guide to a great Habs playoff experience

Fun Habs facts

Here are just a few of the things that you need to know about the 2025-’26 Montréal Canadiens and why they’re so entertaining to watch:

• The Montréal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, the most in the NHL.
• At an average age of 26.2 years old, the Habs are the youngest team in the league and in possession of a galaxy of future hockey stars.
• Forward Cole Caufield scored 51 goals in the current 2025-’26 season, becoming only the seventh 50-goal scorer in the team’s 116-year history, and the first since Stéphane Richer in 1990.
• Habs captain Nick Suzuki ended the regular season with 101 points in 82 games, which put him sixth overall in NHL scoring. This made him the first Canadien to finish in the top 10 in league scoring since Mats Näslund in 1985-’86.
• Defenseman Lane Hutson won the Calder Memorial Trophy for best rookie in the NHL last year.
• Speaking of rookies, backup goalie Jakub Dobeš has carried the team through the latter part of the season and into the Eastern Conference finals. He is considered a heavy contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to a team’s most valuable player during the playoffs.
• Habs head coach and Hall of Fame player Martin St-Louis had no professional coaching experience prior to joining the Canadiens in 2022 — he was retired and coaching kids’ teams.
• The Canadien’s home ice is the Bell Centre in the downtown core of Montréal. It has the most seating of any NHL arena with a capacity of 21,273.

How do I get to the Bell Centre?

There are multiple options. First, you could just follow all the boisterous yelling from the outdoor watch party. Or second, take a more official route involving public transportation. Situated in the heart of downtown a few blocks east of the central train station, the Bell Centre sits between two metro stops on the orange line — Bonaventure and Lucien L’allier ­— and is a short walk from the Peel metro station on the green line. Numerous buses also serve the neighbourhood, as well as taxis and Ubers, but bear in mind that traffic around the Bell Centre can become quite congested on game nights. If you’re staying downtown, the Bell Centre is within easy walking distance of most major hotels.

What are the best places to watch a Habs playoff game?

One might argue that it’s any place that has a TV. Montréal has no shortage of great sports bars to take in your favourite teams, from large, multi-screen sports emporiums to cozier neighbourhood pubs. In the heart of the Village on Sainte-Catherine Street, you can find the ever-popular Station des Sports, while nearby MVP Bar Sportif packs fans in on two floors. On the more intimate side, pop into welcoming Irish pubs such as McKibbin’s, Ziggy’s Pub, McLean’s Pub and Hurley’s (where Habs players and management have been known to hang out post-game). You can also double your fun at the Casino de Montréal, where a number of big screens make it a safe bet for a great time.

Where can I eat near the Bell Centre?

With limited time before games, proximity is key, and there is no shortage of great dining options near the Bell Centre. From crowd-pleaser food halls (the Time Out Market has hockey-themed promotions and screens to watch the games, for example) and casual eats to upscale bistros, you can be sure that there’s a place that caters to every taste before the puck drops.