Canadiens Alumni Kick Off Heritage Classic Celebrations

While the Montreal Canadiens took on the Chicago Blackhawks Friday night, their alumni enjoyed a bonding dinner ahead of Saturday night’s alumni game against the former Winnipeg Jets. It’s been so long since the Habs played an outdoor game that only Paul Byron was in the lineup when the Habs took on the Ottawa Senators in the NHL 100. Go back one more year, and P.K. Subban, David Desharnais, and Andrei Markov all played in the 2016 Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins. While he attended the dinner, Subban won't play in the game.

Of course, some players have been retired for a long time, including Chris Nilan, Patrice Brisebois, Maxim Lapierre, and Stephane Quintal. In net, Jaroslav Halak and Yann Danis will split the workload, and they’ll have their hands full against a Jets roster that includes Dustin Byfuglien, Blake Wheeler, Andre Ladd, Bryan Little, and Tobias Engstrom. At the time of writing there were still some tickets available for the old-timers game are still available on Ticketmaster. If you are in Winnipeg for tomorrow’s event, you might as well splash out to enjoy the full experience.

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If you didn’t make the trip but want a memento, the Canadiens have already put their outdoor games auction online, including the jersey the Habs alumnus will wear in Saturday night’s game. Buyer beware, however: Mike Cammalleri’s jersey clearly states it’s only prepared and won’t be worn or autographed, suggesting the fan favorite might not be at the event; he wasn’t in the dinner photo. The game will be available to watch on the Jets’ website.

Hopefully, everything goes smoothly tonight, and there are no accidents. 10 years ago, in 2016, ahead of the alumni game between the Habs and the Boston Bruins, Denna Laing played in the women’s game between the Boston Pride and Montreal Canadiennes. Unfortunately, she fell and went headfirst into the boards, breaking her neck and suffering a serious spinal cord injury, which has left her in a wheelchair. To this day, she remains an inspiration and a spokesperson for those who suffer a similar fate.

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