• Blue Notes

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Another hockey season comes to an end

posted by Rick Blue at 11h45

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The Flower

One of the defining experiences any working musician has in Montreal is that of the supremacy of hockey. There is always a television on in the corner of any bar or pub you might play which will be kept on even during your set. And in the middle of one of your more soulful renderings of a favourite song suddenly a cheer will go up. We might think it is for you. But it is always because the Canadiens have just scored a goal.

And if you play in an establishment close to the hockey arena, you cannot help but notice the force that hockey has in this town. In the late 1970s and early '80s I played in The Cock’n Bull Pub a few blocks from the fabled Forum. After every game the pub would fill up with people who would never otherwise be there. And they weren’t particularly interested in the music.

If the Canadiens had lost, they would get drunk and rowdy and make a lot of noise.

If the Canadiens had won, they would get drunk and rowdy and make a lot of noise.

I eventually became curious myself and on my nights off, when the Canadiens were in town, I used to go to the Forum at around 6 p.m. when the box office opened. In those days, standing room only tickets could be had for $10 each. I would try to find a spot behind the reds. If I put my coat over the railing to mark my spot, all the other standing room patrons would respect it. I could even leave for a few minutes and go to the bathroom or get a beer, and when I returned, my coat and my spot would still be there.

These were the days of honour among fans. (Unless my coat was so threadbare that it was not worth stealing.)

I saw the glorious team of yore: Lafleur, Dryden, Robinson, Gainy, Cornoyer et al. I could tell which was which because they did not wear helmets. I could see their heads and their faces. I can still close my eyes and see The Flower’s blonde hair flying out behind him as he raced down the ice toward the net. I experienced the joy of being a Canadiens fan. To tell you the truth, I didn’t even care if they won or lost. It was such good hockey.

Later on, in the '80s, I played at Déjà Vu on Bishop Street. Many of the Canadiens used to come in and hang out. I met Rick Green and Chris Chelios. They were regular guys out having some fun.

I know it still means a lot to my friends. But I gave up going to hockey games because I now find them overpriced, loud and unpleasant. It seems to be less about the hockey and more about the big screen. I liked the old Forum. I liked the organ. I liked the history. The Canadiens have not been the same since they left.

Yes, I know there are all sorts of other reasons for their decline. But that’s my reason. And I'm sticking to it.