The Great Unifier

Montreal tends to be a city full of divisions. English and French, natives and immigrants, neighbourhoods, generations, sometimes it feels as if everyone has a bone to pick with someone else. It makes for a tense atmosphere sometimes, no matter how much I love the city. Add to that a dreadfully, depressingly long winter like this year, Montrealers could use a break. And we got one this year - beating the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I'm not a die-hard hockey fan by a long shot. I can't name more than 3 or 4 players on the Montreal Canadiens, I can't tell you what position they play, or if they're good or bad. But living in a hockey-crazed city like Montreal, some of it can't help but rub off. There's one time every year that I become a Habs fan, and that's the playoffs. It's the atmosphere that I love. The city lights up red, white and blue (literally - La Tour McGill's triangle penthouse is lit up in team colours for the length of the playoffs) and there's a palpable excitement in the air. People who would usually never speak can have a conversation about last nights game and get excited for the next one and this year especially, high five over kicking Boston's ass. Because for as long as I have been a semi-hockey playoff fan, Boston has been the team to beat. They are the team that kicks us out of the playoffs every year, and this season's 'win in 7' gave the city a reason to celebrate. And believe me - we f****** celebrated. Granted I was working, so I missed the winning game, but I could here the craziness during the entire game from the sports bar all the way across the street. Just that cheering put the entire staff in a better mood. And from the second the Habs scored the winning goal at least until the end of my shift at midnight, cars were streaming by honking their horns, flying flags out the windows, cheering at the people in the street.
I love the joy that hockey brings to this city, if I don't love the actual sport. The first nice weather of the year and a real shot at the Stanley Cup and Montreal becomes a different city.