Fans of the Montreal Canadiens stretch far beyond the borders of both the city and the province. In New Brunswick, for instance, there is a strong following in the Moncton area. A group of alumni from generations past who come to communities to spread goodwill and raise money for charity, visited the Hub City on Saturday.
“We get to meet a lot of great people, great organizations, great charities,” said former Habs and Canadiens alumni member Gilbert Delorme. “That’s why the guys do it, plus, we like to play hockey.”
Delorme is far removed from playing professional hockey but has been on the ice with the Canadiens alumni group for more than 20 years. “It’s fun to remember the good times that we had and the different stories and different things that happened during your career,” he added.
Enrico Ciccone played but one season in Montreal but he says that doesn’t matter. “You play one game, two games, three games or you play 1,000 games with the Montreal Canadiens, you’re part of the family,” he said.
The CN Canadiens Alumni challenge is put on by the CN Employees and Pensioners Community Fund. Several organizations will benefit including the men’s and women’s hockey programs at L’Universite de Moncton.
“It’s very important to provide support for our student-athletes and this kind of game provides money for bursaries for students to help them in their studies,” explained university president Raymond Theberge.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t ask about the Montreal Canadiens’ current struggles. Both Delorme and Ciccone both work radio in Montreal. “It’s not fun for the fans because the fans really love hockey and they deserve the Canadiens to be in the playoffs every year,” said Delorme. Ciccone added: “On the good side, the alumni Montreal Canadiens are doing great. “Undefeated this season, undefeated ever.”
That record is still going strong.