A couple of yr after coming underneath hearth for eradicating the phrases “Go! Canadiens Go!” from the digital indicators on metropolis buses over issues about Quebec’s language laws, the Montreal transit company is attempting one thing new to point out its love for the Habs.
The company has recruited 4 members of the NHL crew to announce the names of underground metro stations in French throughout journeys because the automobiles cross via the stops subsequent to the crew’s house on the Bell Centre.
It means commuters can now hear the voices of Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Jakub Dobes and Alexandre Texier as they strategy the Bonaventure and Lucien-L’Allier metro stations in downtown Montreal.
”That is Lane Hutson, subsequent station Lucien-L’Allier,” says the voice of the Canadiens star defenceman, in one of many recordings now being performed on the metro.
Texier, who represented France on the Winter Olympics in February, informed The Canadian Press it felt “unimaginable” to listen to his voice within the metro. ”Some buddies despatched me the announcement,” he stated, including, ”I feel individuals is likely to be excited to take the metro … to listen to the voices, as a result of Montreal is all about hockey.”
A transit company spokesperson says the marketing campaign additionally marks a primary for the metro system, because it introduces new voices to a well-known a part of the experience.
“That is the primary time we have particularly switched that voice for the following station to this one, which options our 4 Canadiens gamers,” stated Laurence Houde-Roy.
She stated the initiative is supposed to carry the power of the Stanley Cup playoffs into on a regular basis commutes, giving riders a small however noticeable reminder of the thrill surrounding the crew.
“It is actually a strategy to get in on the playoffs hype,” stated Houde-Roy.
@canadiensmtl Entendez les joueurs des Canadiens dans le métro de Montréal (pour vrai!) pendant les séries 🚇 Hear the Habs on the Montreal Metro through the playoffs (for actual!) #Montreal #Metro
Jean-François Dumas, president of Affect Communication, a Montreal-based media evaluation agency, praised the marketing campaign, saying it attracts on “the sturdy emotional attachment and sense of belonging Montrealers have towards the Canadiens and their roots in the neighborhood.”
He stated it additionally demonstrates how the Habs are ”woven into on a regular basis life” in Montreal and a part of town’s broader cultural identification.
Houde-Roy stated the thought stemmed from a social media video produced in partnership with the Canadiens, displaying gamers inside a metro station setting, delivering quick phrases in French.
“It generated a lot curiosity that we thought, ‘Why not recreate the voices saying that well-known next-stop line?’” she stated.
The transit company stated the crew chosen the 4 gamers based mostly on their availability.
‘We wished to have Québécois gamers, however their schedule did not enable it, however (we) nonetheless have one participant who’s 100 per cent francophone with Alexandre Texier,” stated Houde-Roy.
The response from the general public has been largely constructive, with commuters sharing their reactions on-line and in media protection, Houde-Roy added.
”You possibly can nonetheless see from the recordings that they’re doing very nicely. They’re actually keen to participate on this recording. We actually respect that.”
The initiative builds on a long-standing partnership between the transit company and the Canadiens, whose video games considerably improve transit use, significantly across the Bell Centre earlier than and after puck drop. “We’re, in fact, adapting our service accordingly,” stated Houde-Roy, noting changes to operations to replicate the surge in passengers round house video games.
A ‘Go Habs Go’ slogan is proven on a Montreal metropolis bus in Montreal on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Graham Hughes | The Canadian Press
Some metropolis buses are additionally becoming a member of the playoff push, displaying “Go Habs Go!” on their digital vacation spot indicators. It is as much as the bus drivers to showcase the message, however the phrase must be manually added to each single bus.
”It doesn’t take lengthy, however you must make the change manually for every circuit board,” defined Houde-Roy.
Till then, you would possibly be capable of see just a few ”Allez les Canadiens” messages, the French equal, on just a few buses.
The company had beforehand dropped the phrase “Go” on the buses after a grievance to Quebec’s language watchdog, which pressed transit officers concerning the difficulty in a collection of emails despatched between Might 2024 and January 2025, based on correspondence obtained by The Canadian Press.
The language watchdog would later replace its on-line dictionary, following a public outcry, to substantiate that use of the phrase “go” was “partially legitimized” in Quebec as a strategy to present encouragement for a sports activities crew, however that “allez” was nonetheless the popular time period.
A ‘Go Habs Go’ slogan is proven on a Montreal metropolis bus in Montreal on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Graham Hughes | The Canadian Press
As of now, about 38 per cent of buses — 705 out of 1,838 — have been up to date to show “Go Habs Go!” The transit company goals to have all buses able to displaying the message by April 30.
Houde-Roy stated “Go Habs Go!” is deeply rooted in fan tradition and broadly utilized by the crew.
Meantime, the particular metro bulletins will stay in place throughout the Canadiens’ playoff run — or, as Houde-Roy put it, “till they win the Stanley Cup.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 24, 2026.
— with information from Jared Guide in Brossard, Que.
By Charlotte Glorieux | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.