My love for hockey started when I learned to skate on a backyard rink built by my father. I played minor hockey throughout my youth, and dreamed of one day playing in the National Hockey League. Initially, my favourite team was the Montreal Canadiens, but when the Edmonton Oilers entered the league, they became my new favourite. I enjoyed watching them so much that when I retired and moved to Edmonton, I became a season ticket holder. This year, Michelle and I planned a trip to New York City so that I could watch the Oilers play against the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. However, when Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and threatened our sovereignty, we cancelled our trip. Although I was incredibly disappointed, my love for Canada surpasses my love of hockey.
We decided that this was the perfect time to explore parts of Canada we had never visited, so we switched our plans to visit Montreal instead. Ironically, our change in plans occurred during the National Hockey League’s Four Nations Hockey Tournament, where the United States, Sweden, Finland, and Canada played for hockey supremacy. When Canada and the United States first played in Montreal, there were three fights to start the game, as well as Canadian fans booing the American national anthem to protest Trump’s threats to our sovereignty. I’m old enough to have watched the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union and remember how proud I felt about being Canadian when Paul Henderson scored the winning goal, and when the Canadians beat the Americans in the Four Nations final, I felt just as much pride. It was even more satisfying to see Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers score the winning goal.
We were very happy with our decision to visit Montreal. We stayed in Old Montreal and spent a week exploring the city, including climbing Mount Royal for a panoramic view of the city and visiting the Notre Dame Basilica, which was once the largest cathedral in North America. We also explored Old Montreal and the Golden Square Mile, and walked along the St. Lawrence River. To experience the real Montreal, we explored its older neighbourhoods, away from the usual tourist spots. When we weren’t exploring, we were having coffee and sampling bagels at local cafes. Unexpectedly, a memorable moment of the trip for me was eating at Schwartz’s Deli–which is famous for its smoked meat sandwiches–and discovering that many of the Montreal Canadiens players I idolized have eaten there.
When we arrived in Montreal, I was wearing my Oilers’ toque and was worried someone might take exception to me being from Alberta, given the historical differences between our two provinces. It turned out I had nothing to fear. In fact, when a bartender spotted my toque he struck up a conservation with me about the Oilers. I told him that before becoming an Oilers’ fan, I cheered for the Montreal Canadiens and my favourite player was Guy Lafluer. He told me how proud he was of the Canadiens’ recent winning streak that vaulted them into the last playoff spot. We agreed it would be cool if we had an all Canadian Stanley Cup final between the Canadiens and the Oilers this year.
As Michelle and I explored Montreal, I wondered if any of the other tourists were American. On all the threads that I was reading on my social media concerning the rift between Canada and the States, there were many Americans supporting Canada, with some saying they were going to travel to Canada in support. And sure enough, Michelle and I ran into a couple from Florida at a bus stop who told us and how sorry they were for how Canada was being treated. They then told us we have a beautiful country and were considering travelling by train across Canada.
On our last day in Montreal, we stopped at a shop selling homemade soap. The owner of the shop was very friendly, and when she asked where we were from, and Michelle told her we were from Edmonton, I could tell from her expression she wasn’t expecting someone from Alberta. I told her about our decision to travel to Montreal instead of New York, which brought a smile to her face, and she said, “We’re on the same team, aren’t we?” Elbows up.
One Last Kick 