The Team

As it turns out, Matthew Good has great taste in hockey teams.

His reasons for liking the Montréal Canadiens are very similar to mine. I grew up a Habs fan because my Dad was a Habs fan. For a time, though, when I was in junior high and high school, I ended up cheering for them crazy Oilers, but before long I shed my foolish adolescent rebelliousness and came back to Les Glorieux.

There simply isn't a better team to cheer for. As far as I know, there is no team that has the same kind of far-reaching following, the sheer volume of intensely dedicated fans.

One of my favourite memories of the Habs was just recently when the Canadiens were playing in Florida (crap, I can't actually remember if it was the Panthers or the Lightning) and the number of Habs fans in the arena absolutely dominated the home team's fans. The disparity was so great that when the away-team Habs went on the powerplay, the customary "boo" couldn't be heard behind the triumphant roar of supporters eager to see that No.1 power play go to work.

So, here's to the Habs: while they may not make this year the year of their 25th Cup, they have at least - as always - inspired a nation of fans, proud to colour themselves bleu, blanc et rouge.