Habs’ Ducharme doesn't mince words, tells out loud what everyone’s been thinking!

On Wednesday, Quebec public health denied a request to allow more fans into the Montreal Canadiens’ home arena for tonight’s Game 3 and the rest of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

This was a shock to many, seeing that images of fans gathering outside the Bell Center for games against the Vegas Golden Knights were trending everywhere on social media. The crowd inside the Bell Center for Game 6 against Vegas was forced to remain inside in order to disperse revellers following the Habs’ 3-2 overtime win over the Golden Knights in the last contest of the semifinal series. 

The lack of logic is clear: why allow more than 25,000 fans outside, next to one another, but refuse to see them inside the building, where it matters most and where it is safer, to cheer on the Habs? 

Canadiens interim head coach Dominique Ducharme, who was finally back after missing the past 14 days as he remained in quarantine following a positive COVID test, expressed loud and clear what everyone has been thinking with this ridiculous announcement: 

"Disappointing. Really disappointing… As much as it could have been a way to reward people for getting their two doses, it could have been an incentive to increase vaccinations. It could have bee a way to reward our fans who have spent14 or 15 months in isolation and have the chance to participate in a moment like this. It’s special. Unfortunately, there’s going to be 3,500 people inside and probably 25,000 outside, all crowded together…It’s hard to find the logic,” said Ducharme about rejected proposal to increase Bell Centre capacity. 

Let’s hope Ducharme’s return behind the bench will spark the Canadiens to get their first win in the series, and let’s also hope that the 3,500 fans in the building will be as loud as the ones outside! 

Game on!