The Montreal Canadiens are currently taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a first-round NHL playoff matchup. Game 6 is set for Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EST, with the Canadiens holding a 3-2 lead and being one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.
If you’re a die-hard Canadiens fan, you know that they have a historic name, ‘The Habs’, but most laymen’s NHL fans don’t understand why they have that nickname, and where it derives from.
GettyMONTREAL, CANADA РAPRIL 24: Kirby Dach #77 of the Montr̩al Canadiens celebrates his goal with teammates Arber Xhekaj #72 and Alexandre Texier #85 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period of Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 24, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
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Why Are the Canadiens Called ‘the Habs’?
Per LiveAbout.com, here is why the Canadiens are called the Habs:
“Players and fans are often called the Habs, which is believed to be an abbreviation of les habitants, the informal name given in the 17th century to the original settlers of “New France.” At its peak in 1712, the territory of New France, also known as the French North American Empire or Royal New France, extended from Newfoundland to the Canadian prairies and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, including all the Great Lakes of North America.”
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the NHL’s most storied franchises, as they’ve been around since 1909, and have the most Stanley Cup victories in the league.
There’s also a somewhat common mistake about how the nickname stuck:
“[Tex] Rickard apparently told a reporter that the “H” in the logo on the Canadiens’ jerseys stood for habitants, which is not true. The distinctive C-wrapped-around-H logo stands for the hockey team’s official name, le Club de Hockey Canadien. The “H” stands for “hockey.”
However it came about, it’s one of the most iconic names in all of professional sports.
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More on the Montreal Canadiens…
GettyTAMPA, FL РAPRIL 29: Kirby Dach #77 of the Montr̩al Canadiens celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period of Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Benchmark International Arena on April 29, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times. However, they have not hoisted the cup since 1993, so quite a drought. This newly built Canadiens team looks to be a true threat in the NHL for years to come, with several young stars and core pieces on their roster. They’ve been to the Stanley Cup final a whopping 35 times.
Montreal absolutely dominated the NHL from the 1950s through the 1970’s, with several consecutive years of winning one of the most prized trophies in sports.
In 108 seasons as an NHL franchise, the Canadiens have been to the playoffs 87 times (80%).
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