Editing Montreal Canadiens (section)

==Team identity==
{{Further|History of the Montreal Canadiens}}
The Canadiens organization operates in both English and French. For many years, public address announcements and press releases have been given in both languages, and the team website and social media outlets are in both languages as well. At home games, the first stanza of [[O Canada]] is sung in French, and the chorus is sung in English.

===Crest and sweater design===
{{multiple image
| title = Early logos used by the Canadiens
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| total_width = 150
| image1 = Logo Canadiens de Montréal 1909-1910.png
| caption1 = Logo used from 1909 to 1910
| image2 = Montreal Canadiens 1912-1913 logo.svg
| caption2 = Logo used from 1912 to 1913
| image3 = MontrealCanadiens1918.png
| caption3 = Original design of the "CHC" logo (1917–1919, 1921–1922)
}}
One of sport's oldest and most recognizable logos, the classic 'C' and 'H' of the Montreal Canadiens was first used together in the 1917–18 season, when the club changed its name to "Club de hockey Canadien" from "Club athlétique Canadien",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=370513 |title=Ice Age: Playing the point on many issues – 02/08/2008 |last=Coffey |first=Phil |publisher=National Hockey League |date=February 8, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719104146/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=370513 |archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref> before evolving to its current form in 1952–53. The "H" stands for "hockey", not "[[Habitants]]," a popular misconception.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jerseys and Logos – 1909 – 1946 |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |website=ourhistory.canadiens.com |access-date=March 10, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324212551/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |archive-date=March 24, 2017}}</ref> According to [[About.com]], the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American [[Tex Rickard]], owner of the [[Madison Square Garden (1925)|Madison Square Garden]], in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants".<ref name="theH">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/montreal-canadiens-called-the-habs-2778720 |title=Why are the Montreal Canadiens called the Habs?|website=[[About.com]] |year=2008 |access-date=December 16, 2024 |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Jamie}}</ref> In French, the "Habitants" nickname dates back to at least 1914, when it was printed in ''[[Le Devoir]]'' to report a 9–3 win over Toronto on the ninth of February.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sportetsociete.blogspot.com/2007/11/le-canadien-de-montral-les-origines-du.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503155303/http://sportetsociete.blogspot.com/2007/11/le-canadien-de-montral-les-origines-du.html |archive-date=May 3, 2008|title=Le Canadien de Montréal, les origines du terme HABITANT|last=Foisy|first=Paul|date=November 30, 2007 |website=Sport et Société Québec|access-date=June 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=VICTOIRE ECRASANTE DU CANADIEN SUR TORONTO |work=[[Le Devoir]] |location=Montreal |page=4 |language=fr |date=February 9, 1914| via=BAnQ numérique |url=http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2792155?docpos=4 |access-date=June 18, 2019}}</ref>

Since 1911, the team's primary colours are blue, white and red. The home [[Hockey jersey|sweater]] is predominantly red in colour and features four blue and white stripes: one across each arm, one across the chest and the other across the waistline. The main road sweater is white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves, and red shoulder yokes. The basic design has been in use since 1914 and took its current form in 1925, generally evolving as materials changed.<ref name=jerseys/> Because of the team's lengthy history and significance in Quebec, the sweater has been referred to as {{lang|fr|'La Sainte-Flanelle'}} (the holy flannel sweater).

As of 2015, the Canadiens' home red sweater is the only uniform in the league to feature the [[French language]] version of the NHL shield logo (LNH) on the neck collar, in acknowledgment of Montreal's French Canadian heritage. The road white sweater retains the English NHL shield logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/montreal-canadiens-unveil-new-2015-16-jersey/c-771966 |title=Montreal Canadiens unveil new 2015-16 jersey |publisher=Montreal Canadiens|date=June 27, 2015|via=NHL.com |access-date=December 20, 2021}}</ref>

The Canadiens used multiple designs prior to adopting the aforementioned design in 1914. The original shirt of the 1909–10 season was blue with a white C. The second season had a red shirt featuring a green [[maple leaf]] with the C logo, and green pants. Lastly, the season before adopting the current look the Canadiens wore a "[[barber pole]]" design jersey with red, white and blue stripes, and the logo being a white maple leaf reading "CAC", "Club athlétique Canadien".<ref name=jerseys>{{cite web|url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |title=Our History – Logos and Jerseys |publisher=Canadiens.com |year=2008 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718004302/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |archive-date=July 18, 2011}}</ref> All three designs were worn during the [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10 season]] as part of the Canadiens' [[centenary]].<ref name=cent>{{cite web|url=http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489960 |title=Habs unveil Centennial initiatives |date=September 24, 2008 |access-date=October 31, 2014 |publisher=Canadiens.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101050356/http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489960 |archive-date=November 1, 2014}}</ref>

In the 2020–21 season, the Canadiens unveiled a "[[2022–23 NHL season #"Reverse Retro" jerseys|Reverse Retro]]" alternate uniform in collaboration with [[Adidas]]. The uniform was essentially the same as their regular red uniform, but with blue as the primary colour and red as the stripe colour.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reverse Retro alternate jerseys for all 31 teams unveiled by NHL, adidas|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-reveals-adidas-reverse-retro-jerseys/c-319633384|publisher=National Hockey League|date=December 1, 2020|access-date=December 5, 2020|last=Ledra|first=Cristina}}</ref> A second iteration was released in the 2022–23 season, again using the same template but with red relegated to the logo only and featuring a light blue base with white/dark blue/white stripes.<ref>{{cite news|title=NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for all 32 teams unveiled by adidas|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/2022-adidas-nhl-reverse-retro-jerseys-reveal/c-336511528|publisher=National Hockey League|date=October 20, 2022|access-date=October 20, 2022|last=Merola|first=Lauren}}</ref> 

This period also saw the introduction of [[National Hockey League #Corporate sponsors|corporate sponsor advertising]] across NHL-sanctioned equipment, starting with helmet ads and followed by front jersey patches on gameday uniforms. Contextually, the Canadiens' away jerseys feature the [[Air Canada]] logo<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadiens announce Air Canada as official road jersey partner|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/nov-22-canadiens-announce-air-canada-as-official-road-jersey-partner|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|date=November 22, 2023|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref> in the upper right chest area whereas the name and shield for the [[Royal Bank of Canada]] (RBC) is stitched onto its home counterpart.<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadiens announce RBC as first official game jersey partner|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/canadiens-announce-rbc-as-first-official-game-jersey-partner-335520044|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|date=September 12, 2022|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref>

The Canadiens' colours are a readily identifiable aspect of [[French Canadian]] culture. In the short story "[[The Hockey Sweater]]", [[Roch Carrier]] described the influence of the Canadiens and their jersey within rural Quebec communities during the 1940s.<ref name="Civilization-HockeySweater">{{cite web |last=Tarasoff |first=Tamara |title=Roch Carrier and ''The Hockey Sweater'' |publisher=Canadian Museum of History |date=December 10, 2004 |url=http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.shtml |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313223451/http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.shtml |archive-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref> The story was later made into an animated short, ''The Sweater'', narrated by Carrier.<ref name="NFB-HockeySweater">{{cite web |author=National Film Board of Canada Production |title=The Sweater |work=NFB – Collection |publisher=National Film Board of Canada Production |year=2008 |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=13316 |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218103029/http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=13316 |archive-date=February 18, 2014}}</ref> A passage from the short story appears on the [[Canadian Journey Series#$5 note|2002 issuance of the Canadian five-dollar bill]].<ref name="CBC-SpiritHockey">{{cite news |publisher=CBC Archives |work=CBC.ca |title=The Spirit of Hockey |year=2008 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/hockey/the-spirit-of-hockey/the-hockey-sweater.html |access-date=September 20, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808224702/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/hockey/the-spirit-of-hockey/the-hockey-sweater.html |archive-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref><ref name="HockeyPeoplesHistory-VirtualHotStove">{{cite news |website=CBC.ca |title=The Virtual Hot Stove |year=2008 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/hockeyhistory/virtualhotstove/personalities.html |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606194954/http://www.cbc.ca/hockeyhistory/virtualhotstove/personalities.html |archive-date=June 6, 2008}}</ref>

===Motto===
<blockquote>{{lang|fr|Nos bras meurtris vous tendent le flambeau, à vous toujours de le porter bien haut.}}</blockquote>
<blockquote>To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.</blockquote>
The motto is from the poem "[[In Flanders Fields]]" by [[John McCrae]], which was written in 1915, the year before the Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship. The motto appears on the wall of the Canadiens' dressing room as well as on the inside collar of the new Adidas Adizero jerseys introduced in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489201 |title=Inside the dressing room |date=August 30, 2006 |publisher=Canadiens.com |access-date=August 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030103122/http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489201 |archive-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/gallery/gallery-new-nhl-jerseys-for-2017-18|title=Gallery: New NHL jerseys for 2017-18 |date=June 20, 2017 |newspaper=[[Edmonton Journal]] |access-date=December 13, 2024}}</ref>

===Mascot===
[[File:Youppi! - 02.jpg|thumb|The Canadiens mascot, Youppi!, poses for photographs at a Rogers Media event]]
Beginning in the [[2004–05 NHL season|2004–05 season]], the Canadiens adopted [[Youppi!]] as their official mascot, the first costumed mascot in their long history. The foregoing was the longtime mascot for [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB)'s [[Montreal Expos]] but was dropped from the franchise when they moved to [[Washington, D.C.]] prior to the [[2005 Major League Baseball season|2005 MLB season]] and became the [[Washington Nationals]].<ref name="NBC">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/expos-are-gone-youppi-moves-to-the-habs-1.548418 |title=Expos are gone, Youppi! moves to the Habs |work=[[CBC Sports]] |date=September 18, 2005 |access-date=June 13, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214071256/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/expos-are-gone-youppi-moves-to-the-habs-1.548418 |archive-date=December 14, 2014}}</ref> With the changeover, Youppi! became the first mascot in professional sports to switch leagues. He is also the first mascot in professional sports to get ejected from a game dating back to his time with the Expos.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rudin |first1=David |title=Today is the anniversary of Youppi getting ejected from an Expos game|date=August 23, 2018 |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/today-is-the-anniversary-of-youppi-getting-ejected-from-an-expos-game |work=[[Montreal Gazette]] |access-date=June 4, 2021}}</ref> In June 2020, Youppi! became the first mascot from a Canadian-based club to be inducted into the [[Mascot Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/youppi-first-canadian-mascot-inducted-mascot-hall-fame/|title = Youppi! First Canadian mascot inducted into Mascot Hall of Fame|website=[[Sportsnet]]|date=June 14, 2020|access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref>

In November 2022, the Canadiens introduced METAL!, an "unofficial official mascot", for the team's Reverse Retro series of games that season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/metal-debuts-at-canadiens-game/c-337519458|title=METAL! debuts at Canadiens game|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|access-date=February 24, 2023|date=November 12, 2022}}</ref> METAL! was retired ahead of the [[2024–25 NHL season|2024–25 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/metal-retires-ahead-of-2024-25-season|title = METAL! retires ahead of 2024-25 season|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|date=October 9, 2024|access-date=December 12, 2024}}</ref>

===Rivalries===

====Toronto Maple Leafs====
{{Main|Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry}}
The Canadiens have developed strong rivalries with two fellow Original Six franchises, with whom they frequently shared divisions and competed in postseason play. The oldest is with the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]], who first faced the Canadiens as the [[Toronto Arenas]] in 1917. The teams met 16 times in the playoffs, including five [[Stanley Cup Finals]]. Featuring the two largest cities in Canada and one of the two of the largest fanbases in the league, the rivalry is sometimes dramatized as being emblematic of Canada's [[English Canadian|English]] and [[French Canadian|French]] linguistic divide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=bcf1098e-b0b3-43cc-bc60-83b96fe24d50&sponsor=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150405021846/http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=bcf1098e-b0b3-43cc-bc60-83b96fe24d50&sponsor= |archive-date=April 5, 2015|title=A rivalry like none other|work=[[Montreal Gazette]]|date=November 9, 2008|access-date=March 31, 2015 |author=Stubbs, Dave}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Toronto-Maple-Leafs |title=Toronto Maple Leafs – Canadiens rivalry: notable moments |publisher=Montreal Canadiens official website |access-date=March 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313172705/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Toronto-Maple-Leafs |archive-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> From 1938 to 1970, they were the only two Canadian teams in the league.

====Boston Bruins====
{{Main|Bruins–Canadiens rivalry}}
The team's other Original Six rivals are the [[Boston Bruins]], who, since their NHL debut in 1924 have played the Canadiens more than any other team in both regular season play and [[List of the most frequent NHL playoff series|the playoffs]] combined. The teams have played 34 playoff series, seven of which were in the finals.<ref name=Canadiens.com>{{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Boston-Bruins |title=Boston Bruins—Canadiens rivalry |access-date=January 9, 2011 |work=Canadiens.com |publisher=National Hockey League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708113412/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Boston-Bruins |archive-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name=Games>{{cite news|title=It's just like old times for the fans|first=Michael|last=Whitmer|work=[[Boston Globe]]|date=April 17, 2009|page=C6}}</ref>

====Quebec Nordiques (1979–1995)====
{{Main|Battle of Quebec (ice hockey)}}
The Canadiens also had an intraprovincial rivalry with the [[Quebec Nordiques]] during their existence from 1979 to 1995, nicknamed the "[[Battle of Quebec (ice hockey)|Battle of Quebec]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Austin |date=May 4, 1987 |title=THE BATTLE OF QUEBEC |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1987/05/04/the-battle-of-quebec-when-provincial-neighbors-montreal-and-quebec-meet-in-the-playoffs-its-war|access-date=December 16, 2024 |work=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>