MONTREAL – The Bell Centre has done it again: for the eighth time, the ice at the home of the Habs has been voted tops in the NHL in the annual NHLPA Player Poll.
The NHLPA released its annual Player Poll on Friday, and the Canadiens’ home rink once again finished in first place for the quality of its playing surface.
With 348 players surveyed, Montreal’s ice garnered 46.8% of the votes, followed by Edmonton (13.2%), Winnipeg (10.1%), Minnesota (8%), and Vegas (3.4%).
The Canadiens figured in a couple of other categories, too. The Habs-Leafs rivalry was rated No. 1 in the NHL by 43.5% of respondents, with Montreal-Boston finishing second with 17.7% of votes cast.
Defenseman Lane Hutson’s name also showed up in the poll, on the question of which defenseman could also excel as a forward. The 2024-25 Calder Trophy winner came in fourth with 3.2% of the vote, although Colorado Avalanche rearguard Cale Makar took the category with 36.3%.
