Stephane Vallieres remembers going to the old Montreal Forum at age 12 to observe the Canadiens play the Quebec Nordiques prefer it was yesterday.
On Tuesday night, he was amongst about two dozen people within the cafeteria of the Old Brewery Mission homelessness resource centre, near Montreal’s Chinatown, tuning in to observe Game 4 of the Canadiens’ second-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres.
Some wore Habs jerseys and hats. Others wore red.
Vallieres said game night is best enjoyed with a gaggle.
“The atmosphere here, the chemistry … we’re here to have a great time,” he said. “We’re watching what everyone likes, and there’s no arguing.”
Montrealers have caught hockey fever, and residents of the Old Brewery Mission’s downtown shelter are not any different.
While some watched from the cafeteria, others tuned in from the lounges on the upper floors. Even those getting their hair cut by barbers who drop in once a month kept their eyes glued to the screen as they got their trim.
Vallieres is a lifelong Canadiens fan. His face lit up as he spoke in regards to the team’s roster, saying he believes the team is nice enough to bring home the Stanley Cup this yr. The 57-year-old played hockey on the bantam level in his youth and said he at all times donned a Habs jersey with the number 10, belonging to his idol Guy Lafleur.
Vallieres was evicted from his apartment two years ago and got a room on the Mission in September as he waits to be approved for town’s social housing program. He said events just like the NHL playoffs get his mind off things.
Vallieres sat along with his friend Allen Hayward, one other diehard Canadiens fan who has been on the Mission for 4 years after losing his job in the development sector through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“It makes you temporarily forget that you just’re here, which is a beautiful thing right there,” he said of game nights.
“It might be more fun to observe it with these people, but at my apartment.”
Because the Canadiens took the lead in the primary period, those gathered to observe the sport broke into chants of “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” Even those not watching asked fans smoking outside in between periods in regards to the game.
Yolette Jean is used to picking up individuals who use the Mission’s drop-in centre — where people can grab a coffee and food or take a nap — and driving them to other resources around town.
On Tuesday, barely anyone got in her shuttle, she said.
“I got here to select people up at Café Mission, they usually said, ‘Ma’am, no, no. Oh, we’re wonderful here,’” Jean said. “They said they’re not interested; they need to observe the sport.”
They asked her if she could bring back any donated Canadiens T-shirts or jerseys.
James Hughes, director of the Mission, said the very first thing he heard when he walked in Tuesday morning was, “It’s going to be 4-2 tonight!”
“It’s all anyone’s talking about,” he said. “It brings the mood up. It may be dark here. These are people who find themselves isolated and struggling, individuals who have suffered enormous loss.”
But for a couple of hours, they share a typical experience and love of the game — and possibly even get to win, he adds.
The Old Brewery Mission isn’t the one place where those experiencing homelessness can catch the sport.
The CAP St-Barnabé and the Welcome Hall Mission run shelters, transitional housing units and emergency service centres across town. Each say residents love to establish their very own viewing parties within the common rooms.
“Hockey fever has really taken hold here,” said Michelle Patenaude, the top of CAP St-Barnabé.
Over on the Welcome Hall Mission, residents are typically expected to be back of their rooms and studios by 10 p.m. Director and CEO Sam Watts said game nights are an exception.
He said curfew is prolonged to make sure that those watching the sport within the lounges don’t miss a thing if the Canadiens go into additional time.
“Individuals who don’t have a everlasting address are possibly much more obsessed with the Habs than I’m,” said Watts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2026.
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