The Bell Centre turns 30

MONTREAL – Just like that, the Bell Centre is now a millennial. Like all Gen Y’ers born in 1996, it enters its 30s – another accomplishment to add to a long list of milestones that have taken place inside the building. 

The Bell Centre has some ways to go in comparison to the Forum’s 71 years of hockey, but the venue has still been home to many memorable days. Thirty years later, let’s take a look at some of those moments in the revamped mecca of hockey. 

First, the Molson Centre  

It was March 1996 when the venue known as the Molson Centre opened its doors. Built from brick and stone in the middle of downtown Montreal, the new arena, which originally counted 21,273 seats, became the biggest in North America.  

The New York Rangers were the first opponents to take the ice at the Molson Centre as they let the win slip away under the gaze of a pro Bleu-Blanc-Rouge crowd. Vincent Damphousse scored the very first goal in the building in a 4-2 win on March 16, 1996.

Ringing in the big 1-0-0 

On December 4, 2009, the Montreal Canadiens officially hit centenarian status, celebrating the franchise’s 100th birthday with a tilt against the Boston Bruins. The festivities kicked off with a ceremony that lasted just over 60 minutes, including a pregame warmup featuring two dozen former Habs legends from Guy Lafleur and Serge Savard to Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden suited up in full gear. The ceremony also included guest appearances by celebs and former foes, with Hollywood fan Viggo Mortensen taking the mic to introduce Lafleur and “Mr. Hockey” himself, Gordie Howe, stepping up to introduce Jean Béliveau to the dais.

The Habs then surprised the more than 21,000 fans in attendance by retiring not one, but two more legendary jerseys, sending Emile “Butch” Bouchard’s No. 3 and Elmer Lach’s No. 16 to the rafters, bringing the team’s total to 15 numbers retired in honor of 18 players. Finally, the festivities capped off with a family photo at center ice, with more former players joining the party to snap an iconic photo alongside the current roster.  

The present-day Habs kept the good times rolling, with Mike Cammalleri netting a hat trick en route to a 5-1 drubbing of their longtime Original Six rivals in front of a capacity crowd. 

Comebacks and special moments 

The building has played host to an untold number of special moments, both on the ice and off it. Opposing players often talk about hearing the roar from the crowd in recognition of a deft defensive play, or of the buzz building in the amphitheater any time the Habs build momentum on the ice. 

There are two comeback moments that stand out above the rest. 

The first one occurred in April 2002, when Saku Koivu returned to the ice after missing 79 games while battling cancer. The captain was greeted by a rousing and extended – and certainly emotional – ovation by the sold-out crowd, and the energy continued as the Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators that night to book their ticket to the playoffs. 

The second moment also involved Koivu, but it was a comeback of a different kind. On February 19, 2008, the Canadiens went down 5-0 to the New York Rangers after just over 25 minutes of play, but scored five unanswered goals to take the game to a shootout, where Koivu would score the only goal to complete the comeback for Montreal. It was the first time the Canadiens had come back from a 5-0 deficit to win a game, and the contest remains etched in the memories of all who witnessed it.

Saint-Jean in blue, white... and red 

Hockey, poutine, “icitte”... as some celebrate our vernacular, traditions and all that defines Quebec’s culture on the daily, Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the day where their pride reaches its peak every year on June 24.  

He might be Finnish, but Artturi Lehkonen became a Quebec hero on June 24, 2021, when he sent the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 28 years by scoring the overtime winner in Game 6 of the series against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The 2022 NHL Draft 

"The Montreal Canadiens are proud to select, from the Slovakian national team and TPS Turku, Juraj Slafkovsky,” Kent Hughes announced on July 7 at the Bell Centre. 

Hughes, who was appointed general manager of the team in January 2022, kept his cards close to his chest regarding who the Club would select with the No. 1 overall pick. Nobody knew who the Canadiens were going to choose: Logan Cooley? Juraj Slafkovsky? Shane Wright? It was anyone’s guess.  

What was known at the time: Montreal was hosting the Draft for the 27th time in franchise history and the first time since 2009. What’s more, it was the sixth time in franchise history that Montreal had the top selection at the annual event and the first time a team with the No. 1 overall pick was hosting the Draft since the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Wendel Clark in 1985.  

In addition, the 2022 NHL Draft was the first under the Kent Hughes-Jeff Gorton administration as they began their rebuild. The haul has yielded at least two key players for the present and future of the organization in Slafkovsky, who has set a new career high in points this season, and Lane Hutson, who won the 2025 Calder Trophy.

Cheers to the future 

With thirty years in the bank and countless memories still to come, the Bell Centre’s story is far from finished as the team’s next generation of players and fans continue to write the next chapter in the building’s history.