The last game held at the Montreal Forum: “Historic Evening”

Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is a warm welcome for Morris Richard. I couldn’t believe it! Seeing all the captains passing the torch from one to the other was very moving.

While booking, I watched the match on TV. We were aware of the historical aspect for a moment at the time, but after 25 years, I realize it is more important than I had thought. You’re looking at all the club legends that have been out there. […] We knew the former players were likable, but we realized that Maurice Richard was another sign. He himself seemed surprised!

It seems like the ovation never ends! At the end of the party, she took Henry Richard to the toilet. It’s been 25 years and I remember it as if it were yesterday.

My moment when I got off the ice with Maurice Richard. In fact, just being there, with all these legends, and all these players that I admired in my youth, was amazing.

When I was little, hockey wasn’t what it is now: Saturday night, on TV, it was Montreal or Toronto. So you loved one or the other. I liked the Canadian [il est originaire de la Colombie-Britannique]. I knew everything this building represented for Montreal, and even Quebec.

Before playing my first game on the forum [en novembre 1988] With the Boston Bruins, I’ve only been there once in my life to watch a game. It remains to me a legendary place. [En 1995-1996]It was my first year with the Canadians. I was happy to be back playing in my hometown, for the team I liked when I was younger. So the “closing” of the forum on top of that was a lot of emotion for me.

Guy LaFleur was so young to me that my team mates nicknamed me Guy. I knew everything about the club’s history. It has always been my favorite team. So I knew very well what it meant to ‘close’ a forum. How historic the evening was.

When I was little, I never missed a match on TV and dreamed of going to a forum. It happened every two or three years or so. I was there on the evening of Good Friday 1984, I was nine years old … we went to bed late! […] [Comme joueur]There was never a special day when you stepped foot on the Forum’s ice cream.

It was an eagerly awaited match on our part as well. Bob Jenny [directeur général]Doug Jarvis [entraîneur adjoint] He played for Canadian, Jay Carbono and Craig Ludwig as well. There were a lot of connections. […] Even for us players, it was special. I asked our equipment manager to find me commemorative jerseys from the event!

We definitely wanted to win that game. We were ready and very excited to win. It would be disastrous to end this story with questionable performance.

After the match, our coach Ken Hitchcock was furious, and when he left the locker room I told my team-mates: We had to face this team, but also about 1000 ghosts. It is my fondest memories of that evening. It didn’t matter whether we were good or bad, there was just no way to win it.

I especially keep a unique photo as a souvenir, which is still on display at home today. She appeared there with Saco Coifo, Brian Savage, Mark Ricky, Pierre Torgon, Vincent Dambos … they all signed him. So every day I come back to this game.

It’s funny, I especially remember Jay Carbono. It was an emotional comeback for him. [C’était le premier match de Carbonneau au Forum depuis que le Canadien l’avait échangé en 1994.]

This was the time hockey transformed into more modern buildings, with luxury corporate boxes. This did not prevent this forum from remaining a very nice place. I must say I arrived from McNichols Arena, in Denver, which was much less beautiful than the Quebec Coliseum or Forum!

Each of these ancient squares had a unique design. In Boston and Chicago, the rink was smaller. There were fewer onlookers, but the sound echoed so much that it sounded louder to us. At the Chicago stadium, the instrument was playing at full speed and spectators were hanging above us. It was indescribable.

I had the opportunity to play in many old buildings: Boston Garden, Maple Leaves Gardens, Forum … what I remember is the smell. At that time, smoking was permitted inside. So when we got inside, we were struck by the smell of musk. It was unique.

Although there were other events such as concerts, we felt that the forum was primarily a venue dedicated to hockey. There was something special about it. It was very easy to reach, focus and play. The hardest part was facing the Canadian there! [Au cours de sa carrière, Moog a disputé 20 matchs en saison et 12 matchs en séries éliminatoires au Forum.]