The Laval Rocket played their first season at Place Bell in 2017-18 and from the drop of the opening puck this has been a gigantic success, with all 10,000 seats usually sold out.
I was at Sunday’s American Hockey League North Division semi-final game between the Rocket and the Cleveland Monsters, the affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cleveland won 3-1 and the series resumes Tuesday at Place Bell. I had the privilege of sitting next to our esteemed sports editor Mark Lidbetter in the press box. Nobody in the English media covers this team better than him. See his story on the game.Â
Action from the Rocket game Sunday.
With the Canadiens eliminated from the NHL playoffs, would there be any consideration to moving the division final or the Calder Cup championship (if they go that far) to the Bell Centre?
I remember back in 1982-83 when I covered the Verdun Juniors. The played at the Verdun Auditorium at a time when superstars like Pat LaFontaine (he scored 104 goals in 70 games) and Claude Lemieux suited up for the hometown club and the likes of Mario Lemieux and Stephane Richer were with for teams in Laval and Chicoutimi. The Verdun Auditorium was sold out with standing room only crowds of close to 6,000 people. When they sailed towards the playoff title and reached the final round, the Montreal Canadiens, which owned the franchise, made the logical decision to move their games to the Forum. And yes, not only was every game a sellout, but Verdun Juniors fever hit the entire Greater Montreal Area. It was hard to differentiate between the Habs and the Juniors in terms of fan interest and media coverage.
The Rocket finished in first place in their division this season and their roster is dotted with talented prospects who will find their way on to the Habs roster. So, there is a far greater fan interest than for the Juniors back in the day. Imagine all of that downtown excitement we had for the Canadiens returning to the city?
Now the argument will be made that even though the Rocket are property of the Canadiens they are effectively Laval’s team. Many of their season ticketholders could be inconvenienced. Place Bell is very accessible for folks like me living in the West End, but especially so for those on the North Shore and parts of the East End. Perhaps the Habs could get some shuttle buses going? Place Bell has the capacity for 10,000 fans and it us a beauty of an arena. When I arrived for the game on Sunday, there was so much celebration going on outside the building. Fans arrived at their seats to find white Rocket t-shirts to put on and they were provided with bracelets that light up when the arena went dark.
Jakub Dobes at the game Sunday.
The Canadiens are a business so clearly revenue is key to their existence. Their production arm, evenko, brings in countless millions each year. So just consider those Rocket crowds doubling in size and ditto for the concession stands. Habs defenceman Arber Xhekaj and goalie Jakub Dobes were at Sunday’s game in a secluded part of the press box. After the game I got to speak with Arber and he has no doubt in his mind the Rocket could play before a capacity crowd at the Bell Centre even now.
See my interview with Arber here on Instagram
There are a number of Rocket players who will vy for spots with the Habs, especially if forwards Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak are allowed to test free agency. In the case of Armia, there is no question he should not be brought back at his salary level. So, whom from Joshua Roy, Owen Beck or my personal favorite Florian Xhekay (Arber’s brother who had 21 goals and 175 penalty minutes) might get the nod. On defence, David Savard has retired so Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher will be in the running, although I have a sneaky suspicion that Mailloux could be part of a trade for a center.
Trevor Timmins in the press box.
In the press box Sunday was Trevor Timmins, the former head scout and assistant GM for the Canadiens. He is now the assistant director of amateur scouting for the Blue Jackets. Since he was running the Habs draft in 2021 when Mailoux was chosen in the first round (amid great controversy due to some off-ice actions), he could have his eyes on him.
Sunday’s game was full of excitement from start to finish, notably the ambiance in the building. You can be certain that there are many thousands of fans who would love to see a Rocket playoff run and the fact is Place Bell cannot accommodate anymore people.
Bring on the Bell Centre!