The Montreal Canadiens celebrate Black History Month

MONTREAL -- Throughout the month of February, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to join in the celebrations surrounding Black History Month.

During their game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, February 14, the Canadiens will pay tribute to the rich heritage and accomplishments of Black communities, both in hockey and in today's society.
"Black History Month is a great opportunity for our organization to reiterate its commitment to build an inclusive, safe, and welcoming hockey community, free from any form of racism or discrimination. We are happy to be able to offer our support, in February and beyond, to organizations serving Black communities in Montreal and working to reduce inequalities in our society," said Geneviève Paquette, vice-president of community engagement for the Montreal Canadiens.
During warmups, Canadiens players will wear a special jersey designed by local artist of Haitian descent
Franco Égalité
. As a way for Égalité to honour the richness, vitality and diversity of Afro-Caribbean cultures, the design features elements reminiscent of the vibrant colours, imagery and embroidery found in traditional art and textile of the Antilles. The reimagined Canadiens logo is filled with flowers - including the hibiscus, the emblematic flower of Haiti - that represent growth, burgeoning and hope. To inspire a feeling of togetherness, Égalité arranged within the Canadiens crest a series of Black silhouettes, all connected by flowers to show how various individuals and communities can flourish when they come together. This also pays tribute to the place that hockey has served in molding Égalité's identity as a first-generation Haitian-Canadian growing up Montreal.

These autographed jerseys are already up for auction at
black.bidandraise.com
, and online bidding will run through 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 18. Funds raised through this auction will be donated to
Pour 3 Points
and
La Maison d'Haïti
. Pour 3 Points is an organization committed to developing and increasing the positive impact of sports coaches on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, both in sports and in life. La Maison d'Haïti is a community and cultural organization which has been dedicated, for the past 50 years, to welcoming, educating, integrating and improving the living conditions of newcomers of all origins in the Saint-Michel borough in Montreal.

Before the game, fans present at the Bell Centre are invited to visit the Tricolore Sports store, in front of section 113, to meet former Canadiens player
Georges Laraque
and shop for apparel from the limited-edition Black History Month collection. To commemorate this special evening, Franco Égalité will also be on hand to do a live painting that will later be put up for auction. Fans also won't want to miss the national anthems, which will be performed by singer-songwriter, Noushka.

Earlier in the afternoon on Tuesday, some 30 kids from Adélard-Desrosiers, Jules-Vernes, Le Carignan and Sainte-Colette elementary schools, and from Henri-Bourassa high school, will have the chance to take part in an introductory hockey clinic at the
BLEU BLANC BOUGE rink
in Montreal-North, organized in collaboration between the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Development Department and the Multisports Plus Solidarity Cooperative with the support of MégaFan Ford. These kids will also attend the game thanks to the generosity of Ford Canada, the Club's corporate partner. The winners of the latest edition of the
Impact Player program
, aimed at highlighting the transformative work of Black individuals who are dedicated to building a better and more inclusive future for future generations in Quebec, will also be invited to attend the game in the private suite of the
Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation
.
The Montreal Canadiens are proud to join several other teams throughout the League in celebrating Black History Month as part of the Hockey Is for Everyone program, a joint initiative by the NHL and the NHLPA to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities. This year's campaign, called "Black hockey history is NOW", aims to highlight the significant contributions and invaluable impact that the present and next generation of Black athletes will have on the game of hockey. Throughout the entire month, the Canadiens will be amplifying voices of Black individuals within the hockey community by sharing the stories and experiences of past and present Habs players - including second-generation African American Jordan Harris - across the team's social media platforms.

To learn more about the Club's various initiatives, we invite you to explore our
Black History Month page
, where you'll find various resources that you can support, learn from and engage with.