Some say that death and taxes are the certainties of life, but for some time now there has also been a must-do on the National Hockey League (NHL) calendar when the date points precisely to Saturday, December 2nd: a visit to the Red Wings in Montreal and if we can trust the past, one of the two affected teams will experience hell at the Bell Center this weekend.
For the second year in a row and for the fifth time in history, Detroit will visit the metropolis of Quebec at the exact moment when we can read “Saturday, December 2nd”. And the last two confrontations were real blows on the ice; Are we supposed to believe that there are some nostalgic people in the Bettman district offices who wanted to relive history?
For Habs supporters, this very date is synonymous with a dark chapter in the long Bleu-Blanc-Rouge epic. The events of 1995 were widely publicized and continue to haunt Patrick Roy’s admirers, who would have liked to see him in Montreal throughout his career. However, this year’s clash against the Wings would change the course of events for years to come.
With Scotty Bowman on the bench, the Wings soared in 1995-1996 with 62 wins and 131 points in the regular season. And their 11-1 triumph in the Old Forum that evening showed their strength. The strong guests counted, among other things, on an impressive Russian quintet, which consisted of attackers Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov and Vyacheslav Kozlov, and led 5-1 after 20 minutes, and the spectator evening was already over.
The beginnings of the departure
However, the worst was yet to come. Much to the surprise of many observers, Habs head coach Mario Tremblay left Roy in front of the net early in the second period and the carnage continued. The team wore all red and counted Mathieu Dandenault and Marc Bergevin among their ranks, who scored four more goals before an exasperated “Casseau” was eventually substituted.
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The most striking scenes involving Roy remain in the collective memory of Quebecers. Everyone has seen at least once this sequence in which the goalkeeper raises his arms after a routine save to the mocking applause of the crowd. Then there was the fiery look from Tremblay as No. 33 took his place on the bench… and also that short but clear message from Roy delivered to President Ronald Corey, who was sitting in the front row.
After he requested to leave the organization, his wish was granted four days later by general manager Réjean Houle, who transferred him to the Colorado Avalanche. The following spring, the main actor enjoyed sweet revenge by winning the Stanley Cup for the third time in his career and, most notably, defeating his tormentors of the previous year in the Western Association finals on December 2nd.
Almost the opposite
In 2017, the Wings returned to Montreal for their first game on Saturday, December 2nd at the Bell Center, but the roles were reversed. And the star of the evening was Paul Byron. The diminutive forward infuriated weak opposing defenses as well as goalkeepers Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard by scoring his only hat trick of the Bettman Tournament in a resounding 10-1 win. Proof of Alex Galchenyuk’s atypical character, he took advantage of the opportunity and collected four assists.
Unfortunately for Canadiens fans, this brilliant spectacle did not translate into long-term success, as Claude Julien’s squad was eliminated from the playoffs at the end of the calendar, as were the Wings, who picked up two more points.
Previously, Detroit also played in Montreal on a Saturday, December 2, in 1950 and 1961. With Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay in uniform, the visitors won 7 to 1 against the team of Maurice Richard and Émile Bouchard. Eleven days later, a brace from Gilles Tremblay enabled the local favorites to win 3-2.