Montreal Canadiens’ 4 Most Electric Crowd Moments at the Bell Centre – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

Since it was opened back in 1996, the Bell Centre has made a name for itself as one of the most iconic arenas in the NHL. It boasts a maximum capacity of 21,273, making it the largest hockey arena on the planet. Combine that with the fact that it’s the home of the Montreal Canadiens — whose fans are known for their extreme passion — and the venue creates an energetic atmosphere night after night.

It wasn’t an easy task to trim down this list to four, but here are some of the Bell Centre’s most electric crowd moments in its history.

4. Canada vs United States Fights (4 Nations Face-Off) – 2025

When Team USA and Team Canada finally met for the first time since 2016 in best-on-best hockey, it only seemed fitting that they battled in the biggest venue possible. On Feb. 15, 2025, one of hockey’s greatest rivalries was renewed at the Bell Centre in front of a sold-out crowd of blue and red.

There was tons of skill on display throughout the contest, but the most entertaining moment came within the opening nine seconds. Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel dropped the gloves right off the hop. After the two exchanged blows, Brady Tkachuk stepped in for the United States against Canada’s Sam Bennett. Then, a scrum in front of Canada’s net brought on a third and final fight, this time between Colton Parayko and a much smaller J.T. Miller.

USA vs. Canada started off in MADNESS 😳

📺: ABC/ESPN+/Disney+ pic.twitter.com/BrWlXzMb7J

— ESPN (@espn) February 16, 2025

It felt like the Bell Centre crowd somehow kept getting louder with each punch that was thrown.

3. Canadiens’ 100th Anniversary Celebration – 2009

After an emotional video played on the Jumbotron, the Bell Centre crowd broke into a standing ovation as it watched Patrick Roy and other Canadiens greats take the ice together in full equipment. The cheers went on for over five minutes.

After the players shot some pucks on goal and then tossed some over the glass to fans, each was introduced one at a time. Some of them even gave brief speeches, which, of course, were given between deafening “Ole! Ole! Ole!” chants and applause from the thousands in attendance.

It’s hard to say any of the NHL teams that have celebrated their centennial anniversary since have even come close to matching this kind of atmosphere.

2. Josh Anderson OT Winner in Cup Final – 2021

The Stanley Cup made an appearance at the Bell Centre on July 5, 2021, but not for the reason Habs fans had hoped. With the Tampa Bay Lightning holding a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final at that point, there was a chance the Cup would be won by the visiting team that night. But Josh Anderson had other ideas.

BUT GAGNANT DE JOSH ANDERSON EN PROLONGATION!!!

JOSH ANDERSON WINS IT IN OT!!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Xj0dbfDcKm

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 6, 2021

After opening the scoring in the first period, Anderson sent the series back to Tampa Bay by notching the overtime winner. The victory marked the Canadiens’ first Cup Final win at the Bell Centre in franchise history. Despite the limited crowd that night due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the reaction didn’t appear any less wild on TV.

1. Artturi Lehkonen Sends Habs to Cup Final – 2021

Just days before the events of the previous entry on this list, the Bell Centre was also rocked by a smaller crowd than usual when Artturi Lehkonen scored possibly the Canadiens’ biggest goal in recent memory.

Following a stellar save by goaltender Carey Price at one end, Brendan Gallagher scooped up the puck and dished it to Phillip Danault. Now suddenly in on a two-on-one, Danault made no mistake. He fed a quick pass to Lehkonen on his left, who slammed the puck past a sprawled-out Robin Lehner. Thousands of fans inside and outside the arena burst into a frenzy as they celebrated likely the greatest Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day the city had ever seen.

And here it is, the goal that sends the @CanadiensMTL to the #StanleyCup Final.

Bravo, Artturi Lehkonen (@arsilehkonen)! pic.twitter.com/LfHHQCdfgz

— NHL (@NHL) June 25, 2021

For its entire existence, the Bell Centre has embodied the definition of home-ice advantage. And with the Canadiens starting to return to Stanley Cup contention with a cast of young stars, it’s only a matter of time before that home ice advantage creates even more memorable moments like these.