Hockey fever reaches those in Montreal shelters - BERITAJA

MONTREAL – Stephane Vallieres remembers going to the aged Montreal Forum astatine property 12 to watch the Canadiens play the Quebec Nordiques for illustration it was yesterday.

On Tuesday night, he was among about 2 twelve group successful the cafeteria of the Old Brewery Mission homelessness assets centre, adjacent Montreal’s Chinatown, tuning successful to watch Game 4 of the Canadiens’ second-round playoff bid against the Buffalo Sabres.

Some wore Habs jerseys and hats. Others wore red.

Vallieres said crippled nighttime is champion enjoyed pinch a group.

“The ambiance here, the chemistry … we’re present to person a bully time,” he said. “We’re watching what everyone likes, and there’s nary arguing.”

Montrealers person caught lucky fever, and residents of the Old Brewery Mission’s downtown shelter are nary different.

While immoderate watched from the cafeteria, others tuned successful from the lounges connected the precocious floors. Even those getting their hairsbreadth trim by barbers who driblet successful erstwhile a period kept their eyes glued to the surface arsenic they sewage their trim.

Vallieres is simply a lifelong Canadiens fan. His look lit up arsenic he said about the team’s roster, saying he believes the squad is bully capable to bring location the Stanley Cup this year. The 57-year-old played lucky astatine the bantam level successful his younker and said he ever donned a Habs jersey pinch the number 10, belonging to his idol Guy Lafleur.

Vallieres was evicted from his flat 2 years agone and sewage a room astatine the Mission successful September arsenic he waits to beryllium approved for the city’s societal lodging program. He said events for illustration the NHL playoffs get his mind disconnected things.

Vallieres sat pinch his friend Allen Hayward, different diehard Canadiens instrumentality who has been astatine the Mission for 4 years aft losing his occupation successful the building assemblage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It makes you temporarily hide that you’re here, which is simply a gorgeous point correct there,” he said of crippled nights.

“It would beryllium much nosy to watch it pinch these people, but astatine my apartment.”

As the Canadiens took the lead successful the first period, those gathered to watch the crippled collapsed into chants of “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” Even those not watching asked fans smoking extracurricular successful betwixt periods about the game.

Yolette Jean is utilized to picking up group who usage the Mission’s drop-in centre — wherever group could drawback a java and nutrient aliases return a nap — and driving them to different resources about the city.

On Tuesday, hardly anyone sewage successful her shuttle, she said.

“I came to prime group up astatine Café Mission, and they said, ‘Ma’am, no, no. Oh, we’re good here,'” Jean said. “They said they’re not interested; they want to watch the game.”

They asked her if she could bring backmost immoderate donated Canadiens T-shirts aliases jerseys.

James Hughes, head of the Mission, said the first point he heard erstwhile he walked successful Tuesday greeting was, “It’s going to beryllium 4-2 tonight!”

“It’s each anyone’s talking about,” he said. “It brings the temper up. It could beryllium acheronian here. These are group who are isolated and struggling, group who person suffered tremendous loss.”

But for a fewer hours, they stock a communal acquisition and emotion of the athletics — and possibly moreover get to win, he adds.

The Old Brewery Mission isn’t the only spot wherever those experiencing homelessness could drawback the game.

The CAP St-Barnabé and the Welcome Hall Mission tally shelters, transitional lodging units and emergency work centres crossed the city. Both opportunity residents emotion to group up their ain viewing parties successful the communal rooms.

“Hockey fever has really taken clasp here,” said Michelle Patenaude, the caput of CAP St-Barnabé.

Over astatine the Welcome Hall Mission, residents are typically expected to beryllium backmost successful their rooms and studios by 10 p.m. Director and CEO Sam Watts said crippled nights are an exception.

He said curfew is extended to make judge those watching the crippled successful the lounges don’t miss a point if the Canadiens spell into overtime.

“People who don’t person a imperishable reside are perchance moreover much passionate about the Habs than I am,” said Watts.

This study by BERITAJA was first published May 13, 2026.