The NHL Guardian Project, launched ahead of the 2011 All-Star Game in Carolina, was the short-lived culmination of a partnership between the National Hockey League and legendary Spider-Man creator Stan Lee to develop a cast of 30 superheroes inspired by each franchise.
The idea, in theory, was to broaden hockey's appeal among younger fans, the comic book crowd, and beyond.
"This is really a fresh, new, original approach to superheroes, based on the local NHL team," said Lee at the time, who is also the mind behind iconic characters such as the X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man, and more. "When you think about it, the names of these teams, they sound like super characters. They're inspiring."
And so, Montreal's eponymous Canadien was born: