The Montreal Canadiens were founded in 1909, making them the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team in the world ¹⁾

The club was created as part of the National Hockey Association (NHA), a predecessor league to today’s NHL, to appeal specifically to Montreal’s francophone community ²⁾

When the NHL was formed out of the NHA’s remnants in 1917, the Canadiens became a founding member and have been in the league ever since ³⁾

Montreal has won 24 Stanley Cup championships, the most by any team in NHL history and more than any other franchise in professional hockey ⁴⁾

The Canadiens’ 1992–93 Stanley Cup win over the Los Angeles Kings remains the last time a Canadian-based NHL team captured the championship ⁵⁾

From 1926–27 through 1995–96, Montreal played at the Montreal Forum, where the club won 22 of its 24 Stanley Cups over 71 seasons ⁶⁾

In 1996 the Canadiens moved from the Forum to what was then called the Molson Centre, now the Bell Centre, a modern downtown arena with over 21,000 seats for hockey ⁷⁾

The Bell Centre is one of the largest arenas in the NHL by capacity, helping the Canadiens regularly lead or rank near the top of league attendance figures ⁸⁾

The famous nickname “Habs” comes from “Les Habitants,” a French term for early French settlers who farmed along the St. Lawrence River valley in the 17th century ⁹⁾

According to popular lore, a New York sportswriter in the 1920s mistakenly thought the “H” in the CH logo stood for “Habitants,” which helped spread the “Habs” nickname ¹⁰⁾

In reality, the “H” inside the Canadiens’ “C” stands for “Hockey,” as in “Club de Hockey Canadien,” the organization’s formal name ¹¹⁾

Another nickname, “Les Glorieux” (“The Glorious Ones”), refers to Montreal’s record 24 Stanley Cups and long tradition of championship success ¹²⁾

Fans sometimes call the team “La Sainte‑Flanelle” (“The Holy Flannel”), treating the classic red, white, and blue jersey almost like a sacred symbol of Quebec hockey culture ¹³⁾

In the 1940s the “Punch Line” of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Toe Blake, and Elmer Lach became one of hockey’s most feared trios, driving Montreal’s offensive dominance ¹⁴⁾

From 1956 to 1960, the Canadiens captured five consecutive Stanley Cups, a record streak powered by stars like Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau, and Jacques Plante ¹⁵⁾

Between 1965 and 1979, Montreal added 10 more championships in just 15 seasons, including another run of four consecutive Cups from 1976 to 1979 ¹⁶⁾

The 1976–77 Canadiens posted 132 points and only 8 losses in an 80‑game season, setting still‑standing franchise records for most points, fewest losses, and 387 goals scored ¹⁷⁾

That same 1976–77 team posted a staggering +216 goal differential, one of the most lopsided season-long margins in NHL history ¹⁸⁾

Montreal’s longest home unbeaten streak reached 34 games during the 1976–77 season, with 28 wins and 6 ties at the Forum ¹⁹⁾

Henri Richard, younger brother of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, played 20 seasons for Montreal, the most seasons with the Canadiens by any player ²⁰⁾

Henri Richard also holds the franchise mark for games played in a Canadiens uniform, skating in 1,256 regular-season contests ²¹⁾

Maurice “Rocket” Richard set a club record with 544 career goals for Montreal, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 50 in a season and 500 in a career ²²⁾

Guy Lafleur, nicknamed “The Flower,” holds the Canadiens’ all-time points record with 1,246, combining elite scoring and playmaking through the 1970s ²³⁾

Lafleur was the first NHL player to record at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons, all with Montreal ²⁴⁾

In 1986, rookie goaltender Patrick Roy backstopped Montreal to a surprise Stanley Cup, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP ²⁵⁾

The 1993 championship run included an incredible stretch of 10 consecutive overtime wins, still one of the most remarkable playoff feats in NHL history ²⁶⁾

The Canadiens are often cited as the oldest professional hockey franchise still operating, outlasting early rivals from the sport’s pre-NHL era ²⁷⁾

The team was originally established to give French-speaking players and fans a club they could call their own, deeply tying the Habs to Quebec’s cultural identity ²⁸⁾

One of their nicknames, “Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge,” simply describes the blue-white-red colors of the Canadiens’ classic sweater, echoing the French flag ²⁹⁾

“Le Grand Club” (“The Great Club”) is another affectionate moniker used by fans and media to emphasize Montreal’s legendary status and long list of Hall of Famers ³⁰⁾

The team’s logo is often called “Le CH,” short for “Club de hockey,” and has become one of the most recognizable symbols in the sport ³¹⁾

The Canadiens’ rich history has spawned entire “fast facts” collections, with media features listing dozens of quirky numbers, records, and anecdotes about the club ³²⁾

Before settling into the Forum, the Canadiens played home games at Mount Royal Arena in the 1920s, reflecting how their early history predates most NHL buildings ³³⁾

Montreal’s longest overall unbeaten streak reached 28 games (23 wins, 5 ties) between December 1977 and February 1978, showcasing sustained dominance ³⁴⁾

The Forum became known as a cathedral of hockey, with its intimate sightlines and passionate crowd often cited as giving Montreal a powerful home‑ice advantage ³⁵⁾

The Bell Centre carries that tradition forward, regularly ranking among the loudest and most atmospheric rinks in the NHL on game nights ³⁶⁾

A full season-by-season record shows that Montreal has competed through eras of the NHA and NHL, with playoff appearances and Cup wins stretching across every decade of the 20th century ³⁷⁾

Fans frequently revisit lists of all-time franchise leaders—highlighting names like Lafleur, Richard, Béliveau, and Price—in community discussions and historical breakdowns ³⁸⁾

A current standings view shows Montreal battling in the Atlantic Division mix, sitting at 10–6–3 and 23 points early in the 2025–26 season ³⁹⁾

From 2021–22 through 2023–24, the Canadiens posted sub-.500 records, including a 22‑49‑11 season in 2021–22, reflecting a rebuilding phase after their 2021 Final appearance ⁴⁰⁾

By 2024–25 Montreal had climbed back to 40–31–11 and 91 points, followed by a solid 10–6–3 start in 2025–26, signaling a return to playoff contention ⁴¹⁾

Because of their age, success, and colorful nicknames, the Canadiens are a staple subject in dedicated trivia quizzes and question sets about NHL history ⁴²⁾