Why is the arena their temple and what do they mean by that?

Two years ago, shortly after the minister moved to Montreal, he and one of his students decided the university should offer the opportunity to study whether the Canadiens are, in fact, a faith. The graduate course is open to students in all faculties and those in undergraduate programs. Bauer expects to see more than his usual 10 to 20 people in the class. In addition to the class, Bauer has launched an essay contest asking the question, "Are the Montreal Canadiens a religion?" Jennifer Guyver, Bauer's research assistant, is helping to co-ordinate the symposium and said she was "really excited" to hear that Bauer was organizing the event, titled La Religion du Canadien or The Habs Religion. In Bauer's class, students will compare and contrast the Montreal Canadiens and other religions. Bauer's book has six chapters, one of which was written by Benoît Melançon, author of the book Les Yeux de Maurice Richard. Bauer, who is from Switzerland, has lived in France, French Polynesia and Washington, and said discovering sport has been a way to discover society.

No athlete has embodied the soul of a city and the spirit of its people as Richard did in the 1940s and '50s in Montreal. The Rocket's triumphs were the people's triumphs. In a match the previous Sunday, Richard had twice viciously slashed his nemesis, Hal Laycoe of the Boston Bruins, and then assaulted a linesman. Richard was then suspended for the remaining regular season. Richard had led the Canadiens to three Stanley Cups and had scored 50 goals in 50 games, but he had never won a scoring title and was on the brink of his first. The Richard Riot is generally considered the first explosion of French-Canadian nationalism, the beginning of a social and political dynamic that shapes Canada to this day.

Maurice Richard­-le Rocket, Montreal’s homegrown French-Canadian star from the city’s blue-collar Nouveau-Bordeaux neighborhood. In the second period, the Canadiens’ star tripped Laycoe and sent him spinning across the ice but escaped a penalty. Richard was further aggravated by the fact his team was losing four to one. Laycoe lunged at Richard and his stick blade clips the Rocket above the left ear and opens a gash. Their teammates swarm clutching and shoving one another. Thompson manages to grab hold of Richard the side of his face smeared with blood from Laycoe’s original strike but cannot restrain his anger. Richard then snatches a stick from the ice and swings it at Laycoe and cuts him below the eye. Once the officials finally subdue Richard and Laycoe, the referee, Frank Udvari, sends Laycoe to the penalty box with a five-minute major for drawing blood. Richard presses a towel to the gash on his scalp, which will take five stiches to close. Boston police come to the locker room. They want to arrest Richard for assault, to throw him in jail for the night. In 1939, when war broke out in Europe, the 18 years old Richard tried to enlist for active duty, but military doctors determined his wrists and ankle already broken during hockey games­ had not healed properly. Yet Richard had a dark side. His intensity sometimes provoked violence. His tantrums had become as legendary as his goals.

The power of the English seigneurs in Montreal, who many angry French believed to be modern economic descendants of New France's landowners that treated their farmers as serfs before the system was abolished in 1854. How Richard himself, the Rocket, was so much a part of Quebec society that he transcended even organized religion. Hockey's greatest player at that time was Richard, who in 1945 became the first to score 50 goals in a season. At the Boston Garden on March 13, 1955, bespectacled Bruins defender Hal Laycoe had another of his endless run-ins with Richard, leaving the Habs' star cut on the head after a high stick. A brawl ensued, and the Rocket broke his CCM stick over Laycoe's back. Montreal went nuts, both French and English, and with Detroit coming in for a St. Patrick's Day game at the Forum, revenge was on some fans' minds. Catherine, featuring overturned cars, smashed windows, a shot fired from somewhere and 137 arrests. And the Rocket, who always refused to align himself with a political party, would lead his teammates to five straight Stanley Cup victories until retiring in the spring of 1960 with 544 regular-season goals to his credit.

Cleophas Pesant is the son of Thadee Pesant also known as the blacksmith, was already in light-coloured summer garments, and sported an American coat with broad padded shoulders. Beside him Egide Simard, and others who had come a long road by sleigh, fastened their long fur coats as they left the church, drawing them in at the waist with scarlet sashes. The young folk of the village, very smart in coats with otter collars, gave deferential greeting to old Nazaire Larouche; a tall man with gray hair and huge bony shoulders who had in no wise altered for the mass his everyday garb: short jacket of brown cloth lined with sheepskin, patched trousers, and thick woollen socks under moose-hide moccasins. Cleophas Pesant waited for Louisa Tremblay who was alone, and they went off together along the wooden sidewalk in the direction of the house. Samuel Chapdelaine and Maria had gone but a little way when a young man halted them. Samuel Chapdelaine and Maria were to dine with their relative Azalma Larouche. There was nothing to look at; in the settlements new houses and barns might go up from year to year, or be deserted and tumble into ruin; but the life of the woods is so unhurried that one must needs have more than the patience of a human being to await and mark its advance. Telesphore busied himself with the dog-harness and made believe not to hear.

This is a letter by Buteux to the father general, dated at Three Rivers, September 21, 1649. The little settlement of Three Rivers is so slightly defended that the French are in daily peril of their lives. Christophe Regnaut was one of the donnés in the Huron mission, although he did not witness this tragedy, he obtained full particulars of it from the Christian Hurons taken captive by the Iroquois, who were present throughout the horrible torments inflicted upon the unfortunate Jesuits. He relates these in detail, and then describes the condition of the martyrs' remains. Abraham Martin is imprisoned on a scandalous charge connected with the poor girl, but his trial is postponed till the arrival of the vessels. A few weeks later the second execution of Justice took place. September 20 - 22, Father Bressani arrived from the Huron country, with two bands of Indians, and the French traders and soldiers come down. Bringing 5,000 livres' weight of beaver skins. Bressani sets out on his return to the Huron mission but a few days later he comes back with his Huron companions, who probably through fear of the Iroquoi refuse to go beyond the river Des Prairies. When the last vessel returns to France it conveys an Iroquois captive. This year's trade amounts to 100,000 livres. A number of Hurons come down to three Rivers and Quebec to spend the winter; they are aided by the Jesuits with food, blankets, and more. Early September a reinforcement arrived consisting of four additional missionaries and a lot of Frenchmen besides. This gave the Fathers new courage and they even strive to extend their labors to more distant tribes.

Brebeuf commenced his letter when he described the conversion , baptism, and happy death of some Hurons. At a council of the Huron chiefs, Brébeuf produces letters from Champlain and Duplessis-Bochart, who exhort the tribesmen to follow the teaching of the missionaries. The Hurons are in constant dread of hostile incursions from the Iroquois. In August, Mercier and Pijart arrive from Quebec. Brébeuf recounts the many perils of the journey hither, and the annoyances and dangers to which apostles of the faith are continually exposed among the savages. But he offers much encouragement. Brébeuf closes his account with an expression of much hope for the future success of their labors. Mingled, however, with fear lest these savage neophytes may grow restive when placed under greater restrictions on their moral and social conduct, than have thus far seemed advisable to the cautious missionaries.