The Montreal Canadiens are set for a massive Game Seven against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to face the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canadiens had a chance to close out the series against the Sabres on Saturday night, but Buffalo wasn’t ready for their season to end as they scored SEVEN unanswered goals to capture victory and extend the series.
If you’re a die-hard Canadiens fan, you know that they have a historic name, ‘The Habs’, but most laymen’s NHL fans don’t understand why they have that nickname, and where it derives from.
GettyMONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 16: Jake Evans #71 of the Montréal Canadiens celebrates with teammates after scoring a first period goal against the Buffalo Sabres in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 16, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
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Why Are the Canadiens Called ‘the Habs’?
Per LiveAbout.com, here is why the Canadiens are called the Habs:
“Players and fans are often called the Habs, which is believed to be an abbreviation of les habitants, the informal name given in the 17th century to the original settlers of “New France.” At its peak in 1712, the territory of New France, also known as the French North American Empire or Royal New France, extended from Newfoundland to the Canadian prairies and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, including all the Great Lakes of North America.”
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the NHL’s most storied franchises, as they’ve been around since 1909, and have the most Stanley Cup victories in the league.
There’s also a somewhat common mistake about how the nickname stuck:
“[Tex] Rickard apparently told a reporter that the “H” in the logo on the Canadiens’ jerseys stood for habitants, which is not true. The distinctive C-wrapped-around-H logo stands for the hockey team’s official name, le Club de Hockey Canadien. The “H” stands for “hockey.”
However it came about, it’s one of the most iconic names in all of professional sports.
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More on the Montreal Canadiens…
GettyMONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 16: Jason Zucker #17 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates after scoring on Jakub Dobes #75 of the Montréal Canadiens during the first period in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 16, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times. However, they have not hoisted the cup since 1993, so quite a drought. This newly built Canadiens team looks to be a true threat in the NHL for years to come, with several young stars and core pieces on their roster. They’ve been to the Stanley Cup final a whopping 35 times.
Montreal absolutely dominated the NHL from the 1950s through the 1970’s, with several consecutive years of winning one of the most prized trophies in sports.
In 108 seasons as an NHL franchise, the Canadiens have been to the playoffs 87 times (80%).
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Why Are The Montreal Canadiens Called ‘The Habs’?