by Shannon Penfound, Staff Writer and Event Coordinator, All Habs Hockey Magazine

TORONTO, ONTARIO — As Montreal Canadiens fans, we understand that donning the CH comes with certain responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to wear the bleu-blanc-rouge with pride, even when you’re in enemy territory. This past Sunday Habs fans, decked out in their best Habs gear, took to the streets of Toronto to gather for the latest All Habs Hockey Party!

Besides getting Habs fans together to enjoy Montreal Canadiens hockey, one of the main goals of the All Habs Hockey Party initiative is to provide a way for fans to meet others who share their passion of this sport and continue the growth of our hockey community.

As an example, I’ve mentioned in some of my past articles how I was fortunate enough to attend the 2014 NHL Entry Draft in Philadelphia thanks to winning tickets for me and my dad through All Habs Hockey Magazine.  During that weekend, I met a few of the All Habs team members, including Rabita who is a Toronto-area photographer.  Soon after the draft, I also joined the All Habs team and was happy to be able to reunite with Rabita once again for this Toronto Hockey Party.  We were also able to welcome new team member Jason into the All Habs community, as well as a number of new friends from the GTA.

Some of us kicked the day off by getting together for the Hamilton Bulldogs game at the Ricoh Coliseum. The Habs’ AHL affiliate battled their rivals that afternoon, the Toronto Marlies, and won the game with a score of 5-1. And don’t worry, our group made sure the Marlies and their fans heard a few “Ole” chants towards the end of the game as well!

We then met up with the rest of our guests at Kilgours Bar Meets Grill. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Kilgours, it’s like the hockey mecca for Habs fans in Toronto. The owners are religious about the Canadiens and ensured that our guests enjoyed the night, despite the 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers.

One of the most talked about highlights of the game around our table was watching Henrik Lundqvist’s acting skills following a ‘hit’ from Brandon Prust. Prust clearly tried to avoid Lundqvist, though that didn’t stop a few Rangers fans from claiming Prust’s tap was worse than Chris Kreider’s hit on Carey Price during last season’s playoff run. Yes, losing Price last season is still a sore spot. No, I don’t want to talk about it.  (For a complete recap of the game, check out Recap – Canadiens vs Rangers: Humbled at MSG.

A highlight and tradition, the All Habs Trivia Challenge, was well-received by our guests.  Smiles and laughs circled the table as they chatted and discussed some of the more difficult questions, and great prizes were awarded to the winners.  Who doesn’t love free Tim Horton’s?

It was a fantastic and fun day in Toronto, one we plan to replicate again soon!  We’ll be organizing many more All Habs Hockey Parties this season, possibly in a city near you!  Our next event will take place in Sarnia, ON on December 12th, when the Habs take on the Los Angeles Kings. If you’re from the southwestern Ontario region, be sure to RSVP to this great event for your chance to win some amazing prizes courtesy of Par-Tee Rentals and AG Event Graphics!

Don’t miss out on all the fun!  RSVP early to reserve your seat at our next event!  Be sure to follow @All_Habs and @HockeyPub on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook so that you’ll be sure to receive updated announcements about upcoming Hockey Parties.  Interested in hosting a Hockey Party in your neighbourhood? Email [email protected] for more information!