MONTREAL – In a city where hockey rules all, Montreal Expos catcher Gary Carter was as popular as the beloved Canadiens.
Carter died of brain cancer Thursday at 57, and the Canadiens honoured the baseball Hall of Famer – nicknamed “The Kid” – with a five-minute video set to The Eagles’ “New Kid in Town” before a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
Canadiens players also sported No. 8 Carter jerseys during the warm-up and had a sticker with his number adorning their helmets.
Youppi – the Expos mascot adopted by the Habs on Sept. 16, 2005, after the baseball team left Montreal for Washington, D.C. – also paid tribute.
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He wore an old-school Expos jersey and cap for the national anthems. Youppi would later return to his hockey jersey featuring a No. 8 patch, while still wearing the baseball cap.
It made for a special night for Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.
“Part of me growing up in Montreal is me watching him play baseball,” he said. “I got to meet him a few times through my dad because he was the Expos photographer. For us, he was a part of our family.
“He was really a gentleman, a nice guy. You could just look at his face and the way he conducted himself and tell he was a class act.”
Carter was an 11-time all-star, playing most of his career with Montreal and the New York Mets.
A memorial service for Carter’s family and friends will be held Friday night.
The service will be held in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to The Gary Carter Foundation.
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