Seven Ways to Spot a Habs Fan
So it’s fair to say that the Canadiens ended the 2017 calendar on the wrong foot. The team has both struggled and shone (with the former more frequent than the latter unfortunately) and the team has moved into the second half of the season.
After two wins and a loss to herald in a new year, the Habs are now on a three-game losing streak. Perhaps this is the best time to be able to start afresh. New beginnings call for new motivations, and what better way is there, than to reunite with other fans, not just for consolation, but to remind ourselves exactly why we love the Montreal Canadiens.
Although you might already have your own circle of Habs friends, we thought it would be fun and perhaps humorous (we all know we need more of that now), to depict how anyone could spot a Habs fan from miles away. As they say, isn’t laughter the best medicine there is?
Who knows? Perhaps a small laugh at our own expense would lift our spirits more than any motivational speech borrowed from a movie we watched some time ago.
So here they are, your seven sure-fire ways to recognize a Habs fan!
- The @CanadiensMTL Twitter account (and @AllHabs) are the first things that Habs fans check when they wake up.
When the alarm clocks rings and you are still bleary eyed and confused enough to have no idea where they are or what year it is, the hand will automatically reaches for a phone – to check out specific Twitter accounts.
The need-to-know is real, especially now that the team is treading on such thin ice. Plus, fans only trust All Habs Hockey Magazine and the team’s official pages. There are an abundance of click-bait and rumour sites who have tricked fans countless times into believing something, which turned out to be fake news. Fans are having none of that anymore.
- Habs fans will often begin a conversation with the words “Did you see Carey Price…?”
That opening will turn into a passionate discussion about how Price has reassured fans that he is once again the team’s leader after returning from injury. The point here is that people often break the ice by commenting on the weather or bemoaning their jobs, but Habs fans will latch on to a topic with which they hope everyone can relate.
- Canadiens fans will wear or display team gear as often as they can.
This is probably the easiest to spot. While full-on hockey attire is not appropriate for every occasion, we are talking about sporting the Canadiens Montreal colours proudly, perhaps with a customized name on the back, a signature if one is lucky or perhaps a cap for the added effect. When Habs fans can’t be in gear, car flags, phone covers, or key chains suffice.
- Habs fans are probably doing something in true hockey spirit.
Whether they’re flipping through Brian McFarlane’s acclaimed book The Habs (which is a must-have), or placing a couple of bets on their team (gambling in Canada is not taxed by the way, whoop!), fans will definitely be immersed in something that is related to their one true passion. The truth is that Habs fans want to be connecting to their favorite team in every way possible. They just cannot get enough of it.
- Fans will think you’ll enjoy Habs gifts as much as they do.
If you’re best friends with a Habs worshipper, you know what we mean. If you’ve only just been acquainted however and you’re not too sure, then get ready for a barrage of Habs gifts.
It could start innocently enough, with a ticket to enjoy a game together. This could progress however in the assumption that you are now part of the Habs fold and you will be prepped accordingly. This may include Habs attire, accessories,home décor, clothes for babies and pets and (if you have a larger TV screen than they do) a good sound system so they can enjoy the games with you. All in good spirit however.
If you ARE already a Habs fan and might have been guilty of doing the exact same thing, then we salute you. The bigger the family, the merrier it gets.
- Canadiens fans plan their days around games.
Naturally. The Fall/Winter season is always planned out ahead, with games marked on the calendar, as well as any days off that need to be taken to support the Habs on the road, booked a month in advance.
Despite the dire circumstances, fans know this is only midway through the season and hope is always the last to die. They will have their own ways to cope with the situation but whatever they are, they will be there for their team. Maybe it’s because…
- Habs fans are a determined and loyal bunch.
You will never find a more stalwartly person than a Montreal Canadiens fan. This might be true of all sports teams but we can only speak for our own – and speak we shall. We might have picked on trivial and funny characteristics, but at the very core is a true fan, one who will not back away at the first sign of a fall. And that, my dear Habs friends, is the sign of true sportsmanship.
Whether you’re a fan yourself, on the way to becoming one or know someone who is, there’s no denying the sense of fraternity throughout the community. The club has been around for roundabout a century and the fans show no sign of losing any of the zeal they have.