On Thursday P.K. Subban, who announced his NHL retirement in September, was honoured with a pre-game “Homecoming” ceremony at the Bell Centre. As expected, Subban’s return to Montreal brought with it a handful of emotional moments.
From his acknowledgement of Jean Béliveau’s widow, Élise, a woman he forged a bond with around the time of the legend’s passing, to bringing Mila, a patient from the Montreal Children’s Hospital, out to centre ice with him, it was as if Subban had never left.
It was @PKSubban1 night at @CentreBell this evening and he had quite the message for the @CanadiensMTL faithful before puck drop. 👏 pic.twitter.com/Sn0qn61vS8
— NHL (@NHL) January 13, 2023
“I’ve always felt that we had an understanding that when you wear the Montreal Canadiens jersey, that when you wear the CH, that you play with the same passion that you fans bring every single night to this building, that we see around the city and globally,” Subban, who was visibly emotional, said. “I hope that’s a message to the current players and players that are going to put on the jersey in the future that these guys (the fans) will love you no matter what if you leave it all on the ice. So leave it on the ice every night.”
- You might also like:
- P.K. Subban says he never wanted to play "anywhere else" but Montreal (VIDEO)
- P.K. Subban "surprised" he couldn't land an NHL contract this season
- Here are five former Canadiens players who ALSO deserve their own ceremony
When the nearly-six-minute speech concluded, the Norris Trophy-winning defenceman made one more gesture that sent fans into a pit of nostalgia and emotion, bringing out Carey Price. Together the former teammates gave the Bell Centre faithful one last rendition of their signature handshake, the “triple low-five”.
LE TRIPLE LOW FIVE!#GoHabsGo | @CP0031 | @PKSubban1 pic.twitter.com/ssEMRFWdzJ
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 13, 2023
Throughout the 2010s the duo famously performed the handshake after wins but were forced to stop per the request of then-coach Michel Therrien.
“I always like teams that are humble,” said Therrien in 2013 after the celebration was banned. “We have to respect the game. we have to respect the other team and we have to respect the fans,” added the coach, who was famously hard on Subban.
In the years that followed things did not get easier for Subban, a Toronto native who grew up cheering for the Habs. Despite excellent stats and a series of philanthropic accolades off the ice, he was met with animosity by certain teammates and management staff until he was finally traded to the Nashville Predators in 2016.
Fans never really got over his departure, which is why Thursday night’s symbolic gesture carried so much meaning. Watching Price and Subban walk off together into the tunnel one last time marked the end of a now-bygone era for the Canadiens. And once Brendan Gallagher calls it a career, that chapter in the team’s history will close for good.
Finally, it provided some much-needed closure — for the player, for the franchise, and for the city.
Follow Channels and Categories