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HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA:
A Saturday Sermon?
Montreal Canadiens: A Religion in Themselves?
HABSOLOGY- In the Habs We Trust
Montreal Canadiens fans are arguably the most passionate fans in the NHL. Olivier Bauer, an assiociate professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Montreal, has been working since 2007 to make the Montreal Canadians Club a religion of its own. Bauer has published three books and even offers a course on the subject. Some famous players in habs history, because of their extraordinary talent and skill have been given Saint-like nicknames, for example, "Jesus Price" and "Saint Patrick" (Curran, 2009).
Habs fans love for the game and passion for their team has been discribed and explained in the video to the side. The video was created by Broadcast Journalism students at Concordia Universty, and even in just the first few minutes you can get an idea from the video how passionate Habs fans are about their team.
Olivier Bauer website is provided in the links if you wish to read further about his research and theories on the topic.
Video found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGnD5aoexwE, Concordia Broadcast Journalism
Montreal Canadien fans have also been know to take their passion and love for their team a bit too far. There have been several incidents over the years where Habs fans have rioted through the streets of Montreal, vandalising businesses and cars and setting fires. These riots have been for a variety of reasons, be it in joy after a big win, anger after a devasating loss, or frustration at the supension of a player. These fans passion has been taken so far that it seems to know no limits. In a startling study by Frank Trovato in 1998, it was found that suicide attempts by young males in Quebec fluctutates with the performance of the Montreal Canadiens during the playoffs. This is an instant were the fans passion for the team reach beyond a safe point, just as it has occured in different religions throughout the years.
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