New look for Bell Centre beverage cups

MONTREAL – Canadiens employee Victor Garibay dreams of seeing his favorite team hoist the Cup. 

Until that day comes, he gets to see thousands of fans raise a cup of his own design every game night. 

Garibay works as a graphic designer and illustrator for the Montreal Canadiens, and for the 2026-27 season he was tasked with redesigning the artwork on the aluminum cups that are served at the Bell Centre. The cups should be familiar to any fan who has attended a large-scale gathering in Montreal—approximately 1.5 million of these uniquely designed vessels are distributed annually at the arena during Canadiens games and other events. 

Made through the partnership between Rio Tinto and the Canadiens, the recyclable cups are part of the team’s efforts to reduce the Bell Centre's environmental footprint, but also highlight Quebec’s manufacturing know-how, and the workers behind the process in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. 

It’s a region that Garibay, who came to Quebec after originally studying graphic design in Mexico, holds close to his heart. 

“When I arrived here, I was welcomed by a family from Lac St-Jean, so I was there every year. I know the region and a little bit about where the Rio Tinto factory is,” explained the fourth-year staffer, who also studied visual arts at UQAM. “I wanted to show one of the views that I like of the lake, speaking of Lac Saint-Jean specifically. I wanted to highlight the Véloroute des Bleuets cycling route, the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation in Mashteuiatsh, and some little landmarks like the concrete teepee installations. Those details surround the workers, who appear with elements like the dam, the trucks, the finished aluminum products, and their equipment too.” 

The Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean community and the workers at Rio Tinto—who in 2026 are celebrating a century of aluminum production in the region—are displayed on one side of the cup, along with the “Al” chemical element symbol for aluminum from the periodic table. The other side features passionate hockey and music fans drinking in the electric atmosphere at the Bell Centre.

“I was inspired by how the process of aluminum manufacturing could be linked to an emotion,” continued Garibay, who describes his illustration style as a friendly, cartoonish form of line art. “Aluminum is a chemical element and emotions are linked to brain chemistry. When you experience the emotions of a hockey game or a concert, and raise a glass, it’s a bit like those two ideas coming together.” 

For fans curious to see the final design firsthand, the new-look aluminum cups are already being used for drinks served at the Bell Centre. Bins are also in place around the arena to collect and recycle them. 

“It's very rewarding to see my drawings being used, and I’m also happy to be part of an organization that values original art,” concluded Garibay, who has no shortage of drinkware at home these days. “The first time I saw someone drinking from my cup, I bought a cocktail, just to get one too. But they were not widely available yet, so I got one that didn't have my illustrations on it. Now I have many!”