Habs?

[RVZ]

I've always wanted to know why the canadiens are nicknamed the habs.

[officeglenn]

I was gonna try and do this from memory, but I found a better answer on the net ...

Habs is an abbreviation of "les habitants," the informal name given to the original settlers of New France, dating back to the 17th Century. So it seems a natural nickname for the Montreal Canadiens, established in 1909 as a French-Canadian hockey team appealing to the city's Francophone community.

[Neon_Matrix]

I was gonna try and do this from memory, but I found a better answer on the net ...

Habs is an abbreviation of "les habitants," the informal name given to the original settlers of New France, dating back to the 17th Century. So it seems a natural nickname for the Montreal Canadiens, established in 1909 as a French-Canadian hockey team appealing to the city's Francophone community.

Right on the dot. Thats why there is an H inside the C. Its kind of a rememberance to their roots, and to remember the days before they became subjects to the British crown.

[Discrim]

the H is for hockey, as the club's official official name is (and has traditionally been) le Club de Hockey Canadien. for a brief period in the late 1910s/early 1920s IIRC, the Habs were officially le Club Athletique Canadien, so they had an A inside the C for a few years. Montreal later reverted to the original Club de Hockey Canadien name, which has been used ever since.

[sscrunner06]

I've always wanted to know why the canadiens are nicknamed the habs.

Great question, I've always wondered that myself.

Thanks guys.

[CC97]

the H is for hockey, as the club's official official name is (and has traditionally been) le Club de Hockey Canadien. for a brief period in the late 1910s/early 1920s IIRC, the Habs were officially le Club Athletique Canadien, so they had an A inside the C for a few years. Montreal later reverted to the original Club de Hockey Canadien name, which has been used ever since.

I think i just found my logo fact for the next week

[Discrim]

after doing some digging, I found the exact point in time at Habs World:

November 12, 1910

The NHA grants the Canadiens franchise to George Kendall-Kenndy and the club officially becomes Club Athlétique Canadien, a name it retains until 1917.

November 26, 1917

Founding of the National Hockey League (NHL) at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. Ottawa, Canadiens, Wanderers and Toronto receive a franchise in the new league, succeeding the NHA. At this time, the Club Athlétique Canadien changes its name to officially become Club de Hockey Canadien and begins displaying the celebrated CH logo.

GoHabs.com has more info on it...seems they were originally simply Club Canadien before they were CAC

[CC97]

after doing some digging, I found the exact point in time at Habs World:

November 12, 1910

The NHA grants the Canadiens franchise to George Kendall-Kenndy and the club officially becomes Club Athlétique Canadien, a name it retains until 1917.

November 26, 1917

Founding of the National Hockey League (NHL) at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. Ottawa, Canadiens, Wanderers and Toronto receive a franchise in the new league, succeeding the NHA. At this time, the Club Athlétique Canadien changes its name to officially become Club de Hockey Canadien and begins displaying the celebrated CH logo.

GoHabs.com has more info on it...seems they were originally simply Club Canadien before they were CAC

Sweet, I just guessed and put 1917

[CJR]

seems they were originally simply Club Canadien before they were CAC

Actually, that was a different team. The original team, "Club Canadien" was sold to a group in Toronto and a group in Montreal reformed for the next season and got a new team, which was CAC. The original team went on to become the Toronto Maple Leafs.

[CC97]

seems they were originally simply Club Canadien before they were CAC

Actually, that was a different team. The original team, "Club Canadien" was sold to a group in Toronto and a group in Montreal reformed for the next season and got a new team, which was CAC. The original team went on to become the Toronto Maple Leafs.

well the toronto blueshirts, right? who "disbanded" in 1917, and then their players formed the arena hockey club, or something?

help us out here

[CJR]

well the toronto blueshirts, right? who "disbanded" in 1917, and then their players formed the arena hockey club, or something?

help us out here

Most Leafs fans I know like to oversimplify their history and claim the NHA team as well, so I did it too.

Right, the Toronto team that Les Canadien became was the Blueshirts. Their owner pissed everyone in the NHA off, so they started the NHL and refused to let him in, leading to the Arenas taking over Toronto's spot in the league. The Arenas went through the same "reorganization" when they became the St. Pats.

The double-standard in place has the Leafs recognizing Arenas history as their own (and they do, otherwise they'd only have 12 Cups and not the 13 they claim) but not Blueshirts history (although they sometimes claim that Blueshirts Cup victory for a 14th championship).

[Neon_Matrix]

well the toronto blueshirts, right?  who "disbanded" in 1917, and then their players formed the arena hockey club, or something?

help us out here

Most Leafs fans I know like to oversimplify their history and claim the NHA team as well, so I did it too.

Right, the Toronto team that Les Canadien became was the Blueshirts. Their owner pissed everyone in the NHA off, so they started the NHL and refused to let him in, leading to the Arenas taking over Toronto's spot in the league. The Arenas went through the same "reorganization" when they became the St. Pats.

The double-standard in place has the Leafs recognizing Arenas history as their own (and they do, otherwise they'd only have 12 Cups and not the 13 they claim) but not Blueshirts history (although they sometimes claim that Blueshirts Cup victory for a 14th championship).

I did not know that actually...YOU SO ROCK!!

[IceCap]

the current leafs franchise has unbroken lineage to the toronto arenas franchise. it's the same team. however the blue shirts were a seperate franchise. as a leafs fan i only trace the team's history to the founding of the arenas. the leafs themselves don't claim any blue shirts lineage. the leafs only have 13 cup banners, with the earliest banner celebrating the 1917 arenas championship win.

[Discrim]

seems they were originally simply Club Canadien before they were CAC

Actually, that was a different team. The original team, "Club Canadien" was sold to a group in Toronto and a group in Montreal reformed for the next season and got a new team, which was CAC. The original team went on to become the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I did not know that. thanks for that fact...le Club Canadien de Toronto's got a decent ring to it

[CJR]

the current leafs franchise has unbroken lineage to the toronto arenas franchise. it's the same team.

From Total Hockey 2, page 274:

Despite winning the Stanley Cup in the NHL's first season, the Toronto Arenas struggled in 1918-19 and, in fact, withdrew from the league on February 20, 1919.  The team was back for the 1919-20 season after having been reorganized as the Toronto St. Patricks.

Morey Holzman, co-author of Deceptions and Doublecross, said the following on the "hockhist" YahooGroup (emphasis mine):

The Toronto Blueshirts were the original franchise. In 1915, the Blueshirts merged with the Toronto Shamrocks. In 1917, the Blueshirts entered the NHL. In 1918, the Toronto Arena stole the player contracts from Eddie Livingstone, who had leased the contracts to the arena the previous season. The team changed its name to Arenas, with the same players.

After a lawsuit in which the players were forced to testify, half of the players were sent to Vancouver. Thos who remained, remained as part of a new franchise called the St. Pats. The St. Pats were sold and changed their name on Feb 14, 1927.

however the blue shirts were a seperate franchise. as a leafs fan i only trace the team's history to the founding of the arenas. the leafs themselves don't claim any blue shirts lineage. the leafs only have 13 cup banners, with the earliest banner celebrating the 1917 arenas championship win.

I don't think I've seen the Leafs officially recognize the NHA team, but there are places that say the Leafs franchise has won 13 Cups and one more before the NHL existed.

[Neon_Matrix]

the current leafs franchise has unbroken lineage to the toronto arenas franchise. it's the same team.

From Total Hockey 2, page 274:

Despite winning the Stanley Cup in the NHL's first season, the Toronto Arenas struggled in 1918-19 and, in fact, withdrew from the league on February 20, 1919.  The team was back for the 1919-20 season after having been reorganized as the Toronto St. Patricks.

Morey Holzman, co-author of Deceptions and Doublecross, said the following on the "hockhist" YahooGroup (emphasis mine):

The Toronto Blueshirts were the original franchise. In 1915, the Blueshirts merged with the Toronto Shamrocks. In 1917, the Blueshirts entered the NHL. In 1918, the Toronto Arena stole the player contracts from Eddie Livingstone, who had leased the contracts to the arena the previous season. The team changed its name to Arenas, with the same players.

After a lawsuit in which the players were forced to testify, half of the players were sent to Vancouver. Thos who remained, remained as part of a new franchise called the St. Pats. The St. Pats were sold and changed their name on Feb 14, 1927.

however the blue shirts were a seperate franchise. as a leafs fan i only trace the team's history to the founding of the arenas. the leafs themselves don't claim any blue shirts lineage. the leafs only have 13 cup banners, with the earliest banner celebrating the 1917 arenas championship win.

I don't think I've seen the Leafs officially recognize the NHA team, but there are places that say the Leafs franchise has won 13 Cups and one more before the NHL existed.

You are a god with too much free time on your hands! I salute you!!!

[Gary]

these are reasons why I say Yzerfan is the smartest man on the Creamerboards

[CJR]

I've got all sorts of random information sitting around, I didn't figure any of it out myself. Most of the discussion on that hockhist group is incredibly informative (when they stay on topic). Lots of stuff you don't hear every day.

[CC97]

I've got all sorts of random information sitting around, I didn't figure any of it out myself. Most of the discussion on that hockhist group is incredibly informative (when they stay on topic). Lots of stuff you don't hear every day.

thanks for the info clark, i didn't recall that story about the arenas disbanding (although i'm sure you've told it to me before).

a shame the leafs ignore that, but not the blueshirts event.

what's that you say about the nhl changing it's history?

[IceCap]

I don't think I've seen the Leafs officially recognize the NHA team, but there are places that say the Leafs franchise has won 13 Cups and one more before the NHL existed.

yes, but the nhl, the toronto maple leafs franchise, and any fan who knows their history knows the leafs have 13 cups, all of them within the nhl era. all the cup wins would have to be during the nhl era seeing as the leafs didn't excist prior to the nhl being formed. most hockey historians, as well as the nhl, and the leafs all trace the franchises excistance back to the arenas. no earlier. the blueshirts are not the same team as the leafs, as we all agree on. 13 cups, that's it. i've read up on the subject, and i agree with that asertion. however i'm currious to see what you YzerFan have to say about the subject. you know your hockey history better then most people, so your opionion holds a lot of water on this issue.

in your opinion does the current toronto maple leafs franchise begain with the toronto arenas or the toronro st. pats? it's of my opinion, as well as the opinion if the nhl and the leafs that the lineage starts with the arenas, but i want to hear your opinion.