The games Montreal remembers
The moments, memories and people that shape Montreal sports
During Game 1 of the Montreal Canadiens’ 2026 playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 19, I called my dad as Montreal headed into overtime. I was scared and nervous about what was to come.
“I’ll call you back when we win,” he said.
A few minutes later, the puck hit the back of the net, and my phone rang almost immediately.
I may not remember every detail of that night, but I remember that call. It’s funny what ends up sticking with you.
For Shaun Starr, who has spent years talking Montreal sports on TSN 690, one of his most memorable Montreal sports moments was rather atypical.
“I was lucky enough, in an unfortunate way–I grew up a huge Patrick Roy fan,” Starr said.
He had purchased standing-room-only tickets to watch the Canadiens face the Detroit Red Wings at the Montreal Forum.
After allowing nine goals, Roy was pulled in the second period. He then went behind the Canadiens’ bench and told team president Ronald Corey that he would never play in Montreal again.
“Lo and behold, that was the last game Patrick Roy ever played for the Montreal Canadiens,” Starr said.
For Starr, losing Roy was more than just the departure of a goaltender.
“My whole life, the identity of the Montreal Canadiens was based on who their starting goaltender was,” Starr said.
But not every Montreal sports memory involves the Canadiens.
Houman Naraghi’s introduction to the city's sports culture came at Olympic Stadium, watching the Montreal Expos.
“I came here from Los Angeles. I was used to Dodger Stadium, which to this day is one of the most gorgeous outdoor stadiums I’ve ever seen," Naraghi said. "Then we walked into this tomb of concrete."
The contrast felt immediate. Naraghi attended the game to feel Los Angeles again, but ended up with a completely different experience.
His friends had gotten the cheapest tickets in the stadium.
“I asked them, ‘How much do I owe you?,’" Naraghi said. "They said, ‘It’s a dollar.’”
He soon understood why.
“While we were standing up, everything was fine. As soon as we sat down, we realized the problem,” Naraghi said.
The bleachers were about 10 ft from the fence, which meant part of the outfield was blocked whenever they sat down. Around them, fans drank, heckled and cursed in French.
Those were the moments that made that night memorable.
It was nothing like Dodger Stadium. But for Naraghi, those Expos games in the 1980s became his first real taste of Montreal sports culture.
These memories may all be drastically different, but the reason they stick is often the same.
For me, it was a simple phone call; for Starr, it was watching his favourite player leave the franchise he grew up loving; and for Naraghi, it was $1 tickets that were so funny they stuck with him forever.
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