Got a question for Montreal fans....?

Question

I'm new to hockey, and I was wondering why the Canadiens are also referred to as the Habs?

Answer 1

The franchise is officially known as Le Club de Hockey Canadien, but is usually referred to in French as "Les Canadiens de Montréal" and in English as the "Montreal Canadiens". French nicknames for the team include Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge, Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux, and Les Habitants. The team jersey is referred to as La Sainte-Flanelle (the holy sweater). In English, the main nicknames are the Habs and (usually historically) The Flying Frenchmen. To this date, the Montreal Canadiens remain the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, having last won it in 1992-93.

Habitants is the name used to referred to both the French settlers inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence waterway in what is the present-day Province of Quebec in Canada. The term was used by the inhabitants themselves and the other classes of French Canadian society from 17th century up until the early 20th century when the usage of the word declined in favor of the modern agriculteur (farmer) or producteur agricole (agricultural producer).

French team Montreal Canadiens
english team Montreal Maroons

Answer 2

There are those that believe that the H in the center of the logo on the Montreal Canadiens jersey stands for Habs. Rumour has it that the term "Habs" comes from a time when there were two hockey teams in hockey town Montreal. There was the team of the english people, as Montreal was where the English settled and controlled french Canada. The team of the french people - les habitants - the habs was made up of the rural young men, who grew up playing ice hockey on the ponds ands streets of the farming settlements that surrounded Montreal. The rivalry between the two teams was legendary. Eventually the teams were combined as early Canada grew and prospered, and hockey grew with Canada. Still the heritage of the early french settlers runs deep through this glorious organization.

Still others think that the H in the team logo, stands for Hockey. The real beauty of the Habs logo is the C-H-C pattern. Club de Hockey Canadien. Go Habs Go!

Answer 3

Back in the day, there were 2 teams, The english and the french. The English were the wealthier of the two. Habitant basically means farmer. The english used to call the french the habitants as an insult. After a while, the english and french became one team, but the term Habitants was already so popular that it stuck, and today they shortened it to Habs and it's no longer an insult lol

GO HABS GO!

Answer 4

Yes, Habs comes from Habitants because people a long time ago thought the H stood for Habitants.

However, the H actually stands for Hockey and the C is for Club and Canadiens ie. Club de hockey Canadiens.

NOTE: "Canadiens" does not refer to all Canadians. It only refers
to French-Canadians.

Answer 5

You know that montreal canadiens means the french . In the past, the best players were all french canadiens so the crowd began to call them habs=habitants in french. That just historic that why when we cheer in MTL we cheer Go Habs Go .

Answer 6

Only Anglos call them the Habs. Habitants has the connotation of "peasant" in French, whereas in English it has the connotation of the #1 pro hockey team in history. Unfortunately #1 has been a little too historical lately. Go Habs!

Answer 7

It's short for Habitants, which was what the French were called back in the day.

Answer 8

It's short for Habitants.

Answer 9

years ago settlers used to settle in Quebec and they were called Habitants.

Answer 10

i hate montreal