MONTREAL — About a year after coming under fire for removing the words “Go! Canadiens Go!” from the electronic signs on city buses over concerns about Quebec’s language legislation, the Montreal transit agency is trying something new to show its love for the Habs.
The agency has recruited four members of the NHL team to announce the names of underground metro stations in French during trips as the cars pass through the stops next to the team’s home at the Bell Centre.
It means commuters can now hear the voices of Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Jakub Dobes and Alexandre Texier as they approach the Bonaventure and Lucien-L’Allier metro stations in downtown Montreal.
”This is Lane Hutson, next station Lucien-L’Allier,'” says the voice of the Canadiens star defenceman, in one of the recordings now being played on the metro.
Texier, who represented France at the Winter Olympics in February, told The Canadian Press it felt “incredible” to hear his voice in the metro. ”Some friends sent me the announcement,” he said, adding, ”I think people might be excited to take the metro … to hear the voices, because Montreal is all about hockey.”
A transit agency spokesperson says the campaign also marks a first for the metro system, as it introduces new voices to a familiar part of the ride.
“This is the first time we’ve specifically switched that voice for the next station to this one, which features our four Canadiens players,” said Laurence Houde-Roy.
She said the initiative is meant to bring the energy of the Stanley Cup playoffs into everyday commutes, giving riders a small but noticeable reminder of the excitement surrounding the team.
“It’s really a way to get in on the playoffs hype,” said Houde-Roy.
Jean-François Dumas, president of Influence Communication, a Montreal-based media analysis firm, praised the campaign, saying it draws on “the strong emotional attachment and sense of belonging Montrealers have toward the Canadiens and their roots in the community.”
He said it also demonstrates how the Habs are ”woven into everyday life” in Montreal and part of the city’s broader cultural identity.
Houde-Roy said the idea stemmed from a social media video produced in partnership with the Canadiens, showing players inside a metro station setting, delivering short phrases in French.
“It generated so much interest that we thought, ‘Why not recreate the voices saying that famous next-stop line?’” she said.
The transit agency said the team selected the four players based on their availability.
‘We wanted to have Québécois players, but their schedule didn’t allow it, but (we) still have one player who is 100 per cent francophone with Alexandre Texier,” said Houde-Roy.
The response from the public has been largely positive, with commuters sharing their reactions online and in media coverage, Houde-Roy added.
”You can still see from the recordings that they’re doing very well. They’re really eager to take part in this recording. We really appreciate that.”
The initiative builds on a long-standing partnership between the transit agency and the Canadiens, whose games significantly increase transit use, particularly around the Bell Centre before and after puck drop. “We are, of course, adapting our service accordingly,” said Houde-Roy, noting adjustments to operations to reflect the surge in passengers around home games.
Some city buses are also joining the playoff push, displaying “Go Habs Go!” on their digital destination signs. It’s up to the bus drivers to showcase the message, but the phrase has to be manually added to every single bus.
”It doesn’t take long, but you have to make the change manually for each circuit board,” explained Houde-Roy.
Until then, you might be able to see a few ”Allez les Canadiens” messages, the French equivalent, on a few buses.
The agency had previously dropped the word “Go” on the buses after a complaint to Quebec’s language watchdog, which pressed transit officials about the issue in a series of emails sent between May 2024 and January 2025, according to correspondence obtained by The Canadian Press.
The language watchdog would later update its online dictionary, following a public outcry, to confirm that use of the word “go” was “partially legitimized” in Quebec as a way to show encouragement for a sports team, but that “allez” was still the preferred term.
As of now, about 38 per cent of buses — 705 out of 1,838 — have been updated to display “Go Habs Go!” The transit agency aims to have all buses capable of displaying the message by April 30.
Houde-Roy said “Go Habs Go!” is deeply rooted in fan culture and widely used by the team.
Meantime, the special metro announcements will remain in place for the duration of the Canadiens’ playoff run — or, as Houde-Roy put it, “until they win the Stanley Cup.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2026.
— with files from Jared Book in Brossard, Que.
Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press
