Free Republic

Montreal Canadiens forward Denis Gurianov will not partake in warmups for Pride Night after choosing not to wear a themed jersey, the team announced on Thursday. The decision is related to family reasons, per Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. The Canadiens will be wearing a Pride-themed warmup jersey. “I haven’t walked a day in (Gurianov’s) shoes,” St. Louis said when asked if he was disappointed that the Canadiens didn’t have full participation from the entire room. “I know one thing…you should always try to protect your family. So I have a tough time judging that.”

Henri Richard, who had a long and storied career in the National Hockey League as a player with the Montreal Canadiens, passed away on Friday. Richard was 84 years old.

Jean Beliveau, one of the greatest legends to ever play in the National Hockey League, has passed away. He was 83. Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972, Beliveau scored 507 goals and 712 assists in 1,125 games over parts of 20 seasons, all as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Beliveau was the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup playoffs MVP, winning the award in the Canadiens’ 1965 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. In the end, Beliveau won the Stanley Cup 10 times with the Canadiens. Along with being the captain of...

They represent great, old cities at the heart of each country's history. Each city has a unique spirit. If dropped blindfolded into one or the other, you would know at first glimpse: the brownstones of Commonwealth Avenue, the exterior three-story ironwork walk-ups of St. Denis. You are unmistakably in Boston, unmistakably in Montreal. You can be no place else in North America. Montreal is geographically closer to Boston than to Toronto. Montreal and Boston, each in their histories, has had this thing about the British. And during Prohibition, Montreal was where many strait-laced Brahmins escaped for fun—for booze, gambling and...