The Montreal Canadiens are trying to be Canada's first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup since 1993. Habs fans are lining up to get a free logo amid the excitement.
Jordan Tierney already had his son's name, his cat's paw and some Marvel superhero tattooed on his body. But something was missing.
So two hours before the puck dropped for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final, Tierney waited in line outside the Bell Centre and had a free Montreal Canadiens logo tattooed on his right forearm.
"It's been my team — or I should say this city's team — forever," said Tierney. "I'm really feeling a vibe."
Tierney isn't the only one vibing with the team.
Chris Saliba of Adrenaline Tattoos says the shop has been tattooing anywhere from 15 to 27 fans per day since the playoffs began. Going by his math, that means that there's roughly 500 fans walking around with a new Habs logo inked onto their body.
"It's like a gift that the Habs and (Adrenaline Tattoos) are giving, because a lot of these fans are showing up at 11 in the morning and staying until four, and they might not have the means to get a tattoo," said Saliba.
"I do not have a Habs tattoo. You're right, it's not right. But I'll get one when they win a Cup."
That is the hope. Not just for Montreal, but for all of Canada.
The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Canadiens, which defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. Since then, eight teams have reached the final — including Montreal in 2021 — but none have been able to accomplish the task.
Maybe that changes this year. If so, it couldn't happen to a more hockey-mad city.
Hockey is often described as a religion in Montreal. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the playoffs. Walk around the downtown core, and the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge is everywhere.
Storefronts are plastered with stop signs inscribed with Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes' name. Outside the arena, it seems like everyone is wearing a Habs jersey. Or, in some cases, a papal outfit in the team's colors.
A pub has the Montreal Canadiens logo on full display at the entrance. (Michael Traikos-The Hockey News)"It reminds me of being 12 in 1993," said Tierney. "They're playing good. And this year is the first year where I'm really into it. I don't watch the regular season. But as soon as it's the playoffs, I do. But this year, I haven't missed one game."
Montreal, which advanced to the conference final after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in the first two rounds, headed into Game 4 trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. But whatever happens, Tierney said he is optimistic that the team's story will have a happy ending.
"Let's beat Carolina and then take it from there," he said. "Just trying to be semi-realistic. I'm OK with good or bad, whatever the outcome is, they're getting stronger, and they're only going to get better the next couple of years."
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