Caught some hockey up north of the border....

As previously posted by wifey, we ventured to the great city of Montreal for two games at the Bell Centre. We had purchased our tickets several months ago, and it was pure luck that our vacation plans coincided with the retiring of the #33 jersey that belonged to the legendary Patrick Roy.

The ceremony itself was phenomenal! Patrick Roy entered the building through the main entrance, and was followed by a camera crew as he marched through the concourse (much to the shock and delight of fans grabbing their hot dogs and beers), before entering the arena to the cheers of 20000+ fans. Stopping to chat briefly with Jean Beliveau, Roy made his way onto the ice and acknowledged those who made him welcome (and given the history, he probably did not know what the overall reaction would be). After the obligatory speeches, the banner raising took place and #33 was forever enshrined amongst the other legends that represented the bleu blanc et rouge.

The Canadiens were unable to put the icing on Roy's cake, however, as they fell to the Boston Bruins in a shootout. To really rub salt in the wound, one of the Bruins goals came from Milan Lucic, who was booed consistently for his actions in the previous meeting between these two original six rivals. The anticipated on-ice attack for Lucic never materialized, and many left the game feeling the effects of both a loss and unfinished business with Boston's agitator.