From our beloved and storied hockey franchise the Montreal Canadiens to our surging soccer team the Montreal Impact, from hometown UFC hero Georges St-Pierre to the power and spectacle of the Grand Prix and the thrilling athleticism of the Rogers Cup, Montreal is a year-long destination for sports fans. And if you’re coming to town for the big game and you need a place to stay, we can help with that too.

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Liam Maloney is a photographer who specializes in editorial and long-term documentary work. Though he travels the world for work, Montreal will always be home for him and we were thrilled to hear that he was interested in spending a day shooting some outdoor hockey games for us.

For these photos, Maloney visited rinks in Verdun, the Plateau and Little Italy. If you’re looking for a complete list of Montreal’s outdoor and indoor ice, make sure you check out the great Patiner Montreal website, which not only maps out all of the city’s rinks, but offers interactive information on ice conditions, hours of availability and more. Game on.

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(winter warmth) Montreal has many ways to warm up the great outdoors. Igloofest, winter’s answer to Piknic Electronik, continues its first weekend at the Old Port on Friday night in collaboration with Mutek, featuring Stephen Beaupré, Germany’s Mathias Kaden and Bulgaria’s KiNK, while on Saturday, dance to DJ Josh Wink and Canadian faves Paolo Rocco and DJ Sneak. Come back on Thursday, January 24 for Alicia Hush, Miss Kittin and Ellen Allien. Across the river from Igloofest, settle in at Montreal’s one-of-a-kind Snow Village, with restaurants, a hotel, activities and more. And outdoors right outside Place des Arts, get interactive with music-and-light installation Iceberg, part of the Luminothérapie exhibition in downtown’s Quartier des Spectacles.

(game on) NHL hockey comes back to Montreal this week! To smooth the ice and get fans back into the groove, the Bell Centre is inviting everyone to check out morning skates for the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, January 19 – it’s free, doors open at 9 a.m., seating is on a first-come-first-served basis, and fans will be treated to a hot dog, chips and a soft drink as well as 50 percent off Canadiens merchandise. Later that day, the Habs play the Maple Leafs, and on January 22, they face off against the Panthers.

(circus, song & dance) The art, antics and dreamworld of Salvador Dali are the inspiration for the acrobatic, song and dance of circus show La Verità, created by Daniele Finzi Pasca and featuring a gorgeous original Dali backdrop painting, on at Place des Arts to February 3. More music is in the picture in Beautiful City Theatre’s rock-musical rendition of Godspell, The Musical, January 24-26 and 31 at Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal. La Otra Orilla shows us new and traditional forms of flamenco dance, with dancer/choreographer Myriam Allard and singer Hedi Graja, at Cinquième Salle to January 26. Marie Béland’s Bleu-Vert-Rouge offers a taste of Montreal’s contemporary dance scene at L’Agora, January 23-26, as does the Bouge d’ici Festival, with shows from emerging dancers and choreographers at Mainline Theatre to January 19. And amazing puppetry wows as The Old Trout Puppet Workshop comes to Montreal with their “happiness” show Ignorance, January 18-19.

(screen time) See recent and acclaimed Canadian films for free at the PHI Centre this week: director Nisha Pahuja’s The World Before Her on January 18, Kim Nguyen’s Rebelle on January 21, David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis and Michael Dowse’s Goon on January 23, and Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children and Sean Garrity’s My Awkward Sexual Adventure on January 24. The PHI Centre also presents a series of films selected by filmmaker Denis Côté, including Sergei Loznitsa’s My Joy, Bill Ross’ Tchoupitoulas and Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s Abendland. Over on the 360-degree domed Satosphere screen at the SAT see Chaos and Order, a panoramic work by media artist Rocco Helmchen and composer Johannes Kraas, playing to February 22 – and as a bonus at the SAT’s Foodlab on January 20, eat well and talk gluten-free gourmet with guest chef Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille.

(art world) Innovative Old-Montreal-based DHC/ART impresses yet again with their mind-expanding new show Thomas Demand: Animations, opening January 19, featuring the German artist’s films and videos, interlacing photography, architecture, sculpture and media images. The must-see, 1960s-to-present-day installation work of Canadian art legend Michael Snow is explored in Solo Snow: Works of Michael Snow at Galerie de l’UQAM. And Parisian Laundry, located not far from downtown in the neighbourhood of St-Henri, shows new brightly coloured new work by Jennifer Lefort and Samuel Roy-Bois’ installation J’ai Moonwalké Sans Cesse, Jusqu’à L’épuisement, which includes a drum kit ready for visitors to play.

(music time) On Saturday night, listen to the inventive sounds and inspired lyrics of Christopher Owens and Gentlemen Reg, at Cabaret Mile End. Hear and see something different on January 21, as saxophonist Adam Kinner collaborates with pianist Andy Costello for a theatrical performance at Sala Rossa. On January 22, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra welcomes the Budapest Festival Orchestra to the new Maison symphonique de Montréal to play a program of 20th-century works, from Shostakovich to Rachmaninov, while Californian electro-folk (and much more) singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe  captivates at Il Motore, and L.A.’s Hollywood Undead play Theatre Corona. And on January 24, Brooklyn indie-rock band Wakey Wakey gets toes tapping to love songs at Cabaret du Mile End, and The Whammies, an all-star jazz group of players from Chicago, Boston and the Netherlands make a night of it at Sala.

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Chronically underperforming forward Scott Gomez is providing for one of the more scintillating sagas that are circulating. Gomez, who has been plagued by injuries, scored only two goals last season after going more than a calendar year without scoring. This year, with the permission of the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement, Habs’ brass have told Gomez he needn’t bother showing up. There likely won’t be any argument: he excels at not showing up.

Last season’s surprise star Erik Cole anchored the Canadiens’ top line, which alone accounted for 40.6 percent of the team’s scoring. Cole has said he is considering early retirement, this with three seasons left on his contract… At the other end of the self-imposed drama spectrum is P.K. Subban. The gregarious Subban, at the heart of Montreal’s young but potentially excellent defensive corps, is the lone contract holdout as the team goes into training camp this week. He wants a kazillion dollars and keys to the locker room for all eternity. He’s 23.

Veteran defenceman Andrei Markov’s story has been more of an epic tale of woe having spent most of the last two years in rehab following consecutive reconstructive knee surgeries. Somewhat understandably, somewhat hilariously, Markov recently told NHL.com that “I don’t want to talk about my knee.” Funny, ’cause that’s all anyone’s going to talk about the first time someone takes Markov heavily into the boards.

And also back in action is Canadiens captain Brian Gionta, who missed 51 games last season with torn biceps and hasn’t played in more than a year, and whose larger-than-height presence (he’s 5’7”) has been sorely missed. Though probably more sorely for him.

But enough about them, the real hockey story in Montreal has always been the club’s unfailingly, outspokenly loyal fans. In light of the recent lockout, the Canadiens organization says they intend to show their appreciation for the perpetual unconditional love with as-yet-unannounced goodwill gestures. In the meantime, they’re proceeding with a number of so-called “Hockey is Back!” initiatives this week.

On January 17, fans are invited to watch the team’s Red vs. White scrimmage at the Bell Centre, for free. On January 19, the first day of the new hockey season, Montreal will face arch rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs. The morning skates for both teams will be open to the public, with the Habs practising at 10:30 a.m., and the Leafs warming up at 11:30 a.m. And in further good news, all are invited to partake in a two-day sale, January 17 and 19, at the Habs Zone boutique in the Bell Centre – all Habs merch is 50% off.

What’s good news for Habs fans – who have never been afraid to show their love with money – is also good news for the many downtown restaurants which cater to hungry Habs fans, and also the many other popular game-watching destinations for which Montreal is renowned. And while the shorter season has doubtless been painful for many up ’til now, the 48-game season promises an intensity that wouldn’t otherwise be seen at this time of the year – the excitement across the city is already palpable as the lockout moves at light speed from forgiven to forgotten. Which brings us to tickets… The Canadiens have sold out every single game since 2004. ’Nuff said. (Cough- scalpers – cough)

And finally, for those who love their technology, the Canadiens – who can be followed/tweeted here – are offering loads of iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry apps, Habs browsers and toolbars, and a bunch of other cool and fun geeky stuff on their website. So go (to the ) Habs (website) go!

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Ladies and gentlemen, Number 9, Mr. Rocket Richard. The first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season. Legend.
Crowds have been going wild for the Montreal Canadiens since 1909, mostly at the historic Forum located on Atwater between Saint-Catherine and Maisonneuve. After the completion of the Bell Centre in 1996, the Forum was converted into an entertainment complex complete with a movie theatre, sports bar, comedy club, restaurants and shopping.
Carey Price, cool as a cucumber.
The Habs slick one past the opposing goalie in one svelte swoop.

Brad Staubitz knocks his helmet off during some scrappy ice dancing.

A Hab, a Nordique and a Ref walk into a sports bar… Known as the “Battle of Quebec: Good Friday Massacre”, this giant brawl lasted the equivalent of an entire period and ended with over 250 minutes of penalties.

Get your gameface on and get ready for some hockey! Head down to your local sport bar and enjoy the game with your fellow fans. The most rowdy/fun crowds will probably be hitting up bars in the Crescent Street area due to its proximity to the Bell Centre. Check out Stations des Sports, MVP, Sharx, Ziggy’s, or have a total throwback moment and go to the sports bar in the Forum! Check out when and where the Habs will be playing here.

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Here, therefore, is a list of my Top 10 places in Montreal to eat excellent food and watch the game…

1. Ye Olde Orchard: My favourite place in the city to watch any sport and eat. You can order anything from Sri Lankin curry to Irish stew or a brilliant medium rare burger with sweet potato fries. They have HDTVs for every angle and the service is just perfect.
2. Le Crapaud: A tad out of the way, but worth the taxi ride. They know hockey, they know food and they know how to party. You’ll find me here a few times a season.
3. The Factory bar: Right on the Main, this place will serve you a burger (pictured above) that might take you the whole game to finish. HDTVs are everywhere and the venue has a great atmosphere for watching the Habs.
4. Brasserie Rachel Rachel: Montreal-famous and a huge hockey fan, Bob Le Chef runs this place like no other in the city. He develops each menu item with a special touch. The upbeat venue is about the party, the awesome food and hockey.
5. Les Plaisirs Coupables: Montreal-popular chef Jean-François Plante dedicates his restaurant to a menu of guilty pleasures. Have a Foie Gras and truffle’s oil poutine as you watch the game on their many HDTVs without sound.
6. m:brgr: A popular burger joint in Montreal, this place shows each game. The burgers are juicy and just the way you like them. The Habs themselves frequent the place on off nights.
7. Le BOucan: If you’re a meat-eating, BBQ-loving sports fan, book your night here. They have the most amazing BBQ and have a screen or two showing the game. The perfect night out.
8. Brutopia: Despite technically not being a resto, they have an amazing roast beef sandwich and a few TVs for the game. As an added bonus, some say they have the best home-brewed beers in town. I go here often with my friends.
9. Lucille’s Oyster Dive: A small place with an awesome seafood menu (pictured below). With a few TVs over the bar, this place is ideal for watching the game as you take down a few oysters.
10. Vieux Port Steakhouse: If you’re looking for something a bit more steak frites, this steak house in the Old Port has a special room just for watching the game as you eat.

Born and raised in Montreal, Na’eem Adam is a guest blogger with nothing but food and the Habs on his mind. You can find more info on restaurants that show the hockey games on his blog, Le Méchant Mangeur.

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[cowboys and thespians] Small-town life meets rock-star dreams in Cowboy Mouth (pictured above), a mix of music, philosophy and clowning – and one of Sam Shepard’s first plays, co-written in 1971 with his then-girlfriend, the awesome rock goddess Patti Smith. Fittingly, Girl Got Lost Productions and director Chelsea McIsaac take a minimal approach to the show and let the script speak for itself – about fame, youth, entitlement and happiness – at Espace 4001 (4001 Berri), to April 30.

[circus act] Avant-garde Montreal circus company Les 7 Doigts de la Main lets performer Patrick Léonard out of the three-ring to go solo in a new show, Patinoire, a spectacular blend of acrobatics, music, dance and (French-language) theatre, at Theatre la Chapelle (3700 St-Dominique), to April 30.

[theatre time] Even if your French isn’t much to speak of, the premier of Temps, by critically lauded, internationally recognized playwright and director Wajdi Mouawad – he penned Denis Villeneuve’s recently Oscar-nominated Incendies – is sure to be an emotional rollercoaster. Of course, some understanding of French might help in trying to untangle the story of three siblings living in a mining town in Labrador as they attempt to unravel the details of their father’s estate while winter rages outside and hoards of rats roam the streets. Light stuff. At Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui (3900 St-Denis), to May 14.

[sing-along cinema] It’s no secret that Montreal is a culturally rich, artistically diverse city, but our own underground cinema space, Blue Sunshine is kept a little under wraps – maybe because it’s small and friendly and sometimes secrets are fun. But I have to let the cat out of the bag right about now because Blue Sunshine is hosting The Buffy Sing-Along, this Thursday, April 21, 8 p.m. Some would argue that this all-musical episode of teen-cult TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, entitled Once More With Feeling, is one of the best things television ever did for us. And some just some just wanna sing. If you’re one of those some, stop in at Blue Sunshine, and while there, take a gander at illustrations by Winnipeg artist and animator Leslie Supnet. Also: beyond-cult classics Candy (a star-studded teen pop-odyssey from 1966) and Raôul Duguay’s great Ô: Ou L’Invisible Enfant, on Friday or Saturday respectively.

[art action] The weather seems to be doing whatever it wants these days, such is spring time, but when the sun does shine, wander down to the ever-more expansive Quartier des spectacles to see new outdoor art work from Montreal artists Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat: 21 Balançoires, a game-like musical collaboration (featuring the talents of musician Radwan Ghazi Moumneh) that requires a little public cooperation to really shine, at the Promenade des Artistes (corner of Président-Kennedy and Jeanne-Mance).

Grimes – Vanessa from Arbutus Records on Vimeo.

[weird and wonderful sounds] Montreal’s Pat Jordache, a great musician who surrounds himself with other great musicians, is at Discoteque Tropicale (6512 Parc) on April 21. Weird in the best way, much-hyped local electronic artist Grimes launches a new album at Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent), on April 22. Synth-pop your Saturday night with L.A.-livin’, love-lovin’ husband-wife duo The Submarines at Casa Del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent), April 23. Or check out Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few, with The Unsettlers at Cabaret Mile End. On Sunday night, chart-topping, mildly annoying British crooner James Blunt is at Place Des Arts. And hey, since it’s a long weekend, and you’ve stayed for Sunday’s dancetastic Bal en Blanc anyway, then on Monday night, Mogwai does epic post-rock at L’Olympia (1004 Ste-Catherine E.), while Lady Gaga is who she is whatever that is, at the Bell Centre.

Photo Credit: Patinoire- Kim Doucet (All rights reserved by les7doigts)

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Taverne Normand is a favourite local Plateau haunt, with a raucous but cozy feel, where sport is king (“Là ou le sport est Roi”). Each table is assigned a player’s number and if your guy scores, Normand himself brings a round of free shots to the table. (1550 Mont-Royal East, 514-525-8748)

Chez Serge offers hipster denizens a way to avoid sacrificing clubbing over hockey, marrying the two. During ads and intermissions, it’s all DJ tunes, light shows and pole dancing. Oh, and don’t miss the TV on the men’s washroom ceiling! (5301 St-Laurent, 514-270-3262)

Champs Bar & Restaurant is a classic sports bar located on St-Laurent that’s as packed with customers as it is with sport paraphernalia. There’s a big hall with banquet tables on the top floor, so you can bring your team. (3956 St-Laurent, 514-987-6444)

Le Drugstore is where lesbians and gays turn a queer eye on the hockey guys. A behemoth bar on 4 levels, this gay village hotspot offers plenty of distraction to compliment your hockey watching: pool tables, a hair salon, ice cream parlour, and even post-game drag shows! (1366 Sainte-Catherine, 514-524-1960)

La Cage Aux Sports is the mother of all Quebec sport bar chains. The downtown Bell Centre location is next to the action. With two levels, 70 television sets, and 4 giant screens you feel like you’re in the game. Plus, the menu features… a wine list! (395 Rue Lemoyne, 1212 de la Gauchetière, 514-288-1115)

Rachel Rachel: Brasserie Rachel Rachel is the hot new place to watch the game on the Plateau. Headed up by “anarchic” chef and rabid Habs fan, Bob Le Chef, this place serves the perfect food (and drinks) for the game and gets absolutely wild when the Canadiens are playing. (500 Rachel East, 514-524-4446)

Not only does Café Olympico serve up the winningest café in Montreal, it also provides an amicable atmosphere for multi-sport carousing. (124 Rue St-Viateur W.)

La Station des sports offers sports fanatics 20 screens and 4L pitchers are only 18$ (pitchers at 4$)! (2051 Ste-Catherine W., 514-931-5559)

Located in the West end, Claremont Café is a hopping bistro run by locals fixated on watching and playing hockey. Try the house special: duck poutine! (5032 Sherbrooke West, 514-483-1557)

Not everyone can agree on watching hockey? Next to Concordia University in the basement of the Faubourg Shopping Center, Sharx is a sports bar, pool hall and bowling alley, all in one. (1606 Ste. Catherine W., 514-934-3105)

Every corner in Montreal features a local dive you can call home – at least for a one-night hockey-watching stand. Bistro 1815 is one example, but go ahead, try your luck! Any bar with a TV will be tuned in to Habs hockey. (1815 Laurier, 514-521-6125)

Photo: Eric Kearns

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The Tricolore Au Feminin, now in its 5th year, is an annual charity hockey game played by the female staff of the Montreal Canadiens, the Bell Centre and Evenko. There were plenty of big names in attendance- Canadiens defenceman James Wisniewski signed some autographs, while former Hab Gilbert Delorme coached one of the teams, alongside Olympic medallists Marianne St-Gelais, Charles Hamelin and Tania Vicent, though it was pretty clear that many of the kids in attendance were most star-struck by an appearance from the one-and-only Youppi.

By the end of the incredibly fun night, the event had raised $18,000 for the Children’s Foundation, which directs the money it raises to over 400 charitable endeavours across Quebec. Really, there’s only one thing to add to such a great, positive situation….

GO HABS GO!!!

And a very special shout-out to the great Montreal band, Winter Gloves, who let us their new song, Dancing My Heart Out, in the video. Thanks guys!

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After winning the Miss America 2011 pageant, Teresa Scanlan, a charming Nebraska-native of Croatian decent, made her way up to Montreal. On the morning of a wind-driven snowstorm, Scanlan was warm, welcoming and press-ready in the penthouse of the chic Opus Hotel.

Why, you might wonder, is Miss America here in La Belle Province? Funny, I asked myself the same question. Turns out, her official fashion designer is none other than Joseph Ribkoff, a septuagenarian Montrealer who has made an international name of his eponymous, locally-produced brand, which is headquartered here in Dorval (not far from the airport). As Scanlan and a pair of models showed us, the sophisticated line features prêt-à-porter separates, as well as eveningwear fit for, well, Miss America!

I couldn’t resist asking the young lovely a hometown hockey question: Did she know of Carey Price, the handsome, 23-year-old goalie of the Montreal Canadiens? I even offered to set them up for her 18-year milestone, reminding her that she could drink in bars here at that age. She didn’t know the heartbreaker Hab and politely declined. Sorry Carey, I tried for you too.

A

THE DETAILS

Looking for Joseph Ribkoff clothes in Montreal (or anywhere else in the world for that matter)? Go to his website or call 1-800-361-1839 for a location near you.

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