We attended the Canadian’s first retro night, Tuesday, during the game against the New Jersey Devils. With the uniform in the colors of the Expos, everything was set for a nostalgic evening.

Several fans wore the Canadians’ retro jersey. They gave up the famous bleu blanc rouge sweater for the moment of an evening.

It’s a great marketing move for the Canadians and the NHL. This is the second time in three seasons that the Bettman Tour have released a retro jersey for all of their teams.

At the Canadiens, we’ve seen an attitude of openness since the team’s centenary in 2008. The Habs wore seven different kits that season.

Several uniforms have been created in recent seasons. The original colors were respected but the design was different.

This year’s goes off the beaten path with the powder blue of the old Expos uniform. It’s a nice nod to the old major league baseball organization that rocked Quebec.

Roger’s voice

To add a touch of nostalgia to this first retro evening, Canadian Rodger invited Brulotte to present the Habs’ starting line-up.

Nice thought for the man who has devoted his life to exhibitions and baseball.

“I’m touched that the Canadian thought of me, mentioned Rodger Brulotte who was joined by Youppi! in his mission. It’s a nice tribute to the Expos. For me it is a privilege.”

The Canadian had given him a free hand for his presentation. As he always has, the famous commentator put all the gum down. He ended the whole thing with his famous “Good evening, he’s gone!”

For this first retro evening, the Canadian had not invited any former Expos players. It could be a good idea for the next games with these kits. Pretty sure many alumni would love to reconnect with the Montreal public.

Also, don’t forget the banner paying homage to the Expos at the heights of the Bell Centre. The numbers and names of Andre Dawson, Rusty Staub, Gary Carter and Tim Raines are displayed there.

A special mascot

In addition to a special jersey for these games, the Canadian has decided to create a new mascot for the occasion: METAL!

The latter was a fixture at the Montreal Forum in the ’80s and early ’90s and was spotted at Canadiens games, rock concerts and wrestling events.

metal ! This was his second appearance in the stands this season. On Saturday, in the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was introduced to the audience during the first break.

On Tuesday he notably took part in a photo session and a tour in front of the Bell Centre.

In terms of looks, you could say it’s a mixture of Youppi! and a viking. He is blue with a huge orange mustache.

Youppi lovers! Rest assured, seeing this new full-time mascot at the Bell Center for Canadian games is out of the question.