By and large, NHL players regard Bell Centre, the home of the Montreal Canadiens, as the top venue to play in thanks not only to the roaring fans but also the history that is on full display with the multiple Stanley Cup banners, divisional titles, and retired jersey numbers hanging from the rafters of the venue.
Bell Centre, which opened in 1996 to replace the historic Montreal Forum, has also hosted international competition, including the 1996 World Cup along with the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off.
For Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who brought the house down with a spectacular goal against Team USA for Team Canada in their opening 4 Nations Face-Off game, there’s something special about playing in the venue.
Oilers’ Connor McDavid Opens Up About Playing The Montreal Canadiens At Bell Centre
According to McDavid, the games in Montreal are always intense.
“It always seems like an exciting game when we’re there,” McDavid said. “The energy of the building is there. It always feels intense. Those are the games I love to play, honestly.”
McDavid, who played for Team Canada at the Four Nations Face-Off, said that he appreciated the cheers that he doesn’t normally hear when he’s there playing against the hometown Canadiens for the Oilers.
“It’s nice to have the fans cheer for me there, but it’s also fun to play against (the Canadiens) and get the boos,” he said.
Fans of the Canadiens are known as some of the most passionate in all of sports, and it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed by McDavid.
“It’s such a special building to play in,” he said. “It’s such a great hockey town. The way (the fans) love their Canadiens is amazing.”
Connor McDavid Is Getting Ready For The New Season
McDavid and the Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, but lost both times to the Florida Panthers and falling short in their goal to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since Montreal last raised the hallowed trophy at the Forum in 1993.
For McDavid, it will be important for him and his teammates to essentially hit the ground running, especially in the wake of their disappointing first round exit from the playoffs earlier this spring.
“I don’t want to say we took it for granted or there was complacency,” McDavid said of the early elimination last season via NHL.com. “When you go to the Cup Final two years in a row, you feel pretty good about your group and you feel pretty good that when it matters, you’re going to be able to turn it on. Who knows without injuries maybe we could, but you never know.
“But the League is too good. Teams are too good to not go through the checkpoints that you have to go through in the season, and I think you see that here today. Guys are already going hard and getting ready for camp, and we want to hit the ground running this year.”
Oilers’ Connor McDavid Reveals True Thoughts Of Playing In Montreal