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Canadian News June 25, 2021

Canadiens Stanley Cup Merch Abounds

The Habs are back in the finals for the first time in 28 years. Branded merch celebrating the achievement is in high demand.

By  Christopher Ruvo

With a flick of his stick, Artturi Lehkonen sent Montreal into an ecstasy not experienced in 28 years.

On Thursday, June 24, the left winger for the Montreal Canadiens whacked a deftly executed backhand pass from teammate Phillip Danault past Las Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner, sending the Habs to their first Stanley Cup final since 1993.

The goal touched off ecstatic celebrations in a city that’s deeply proud of its hockey team – the most successful in National Hockey League history with 24 Stanley Cup victories, despite the near quarter-century dearth of championships.

The Habs’ victory was relevant beyond just the provincial borders of Quebec, with this being the first time a Canadian team will play for the Cup in a decade. In fact, Canadian teams have only participated in the Stanley Cup Finals five times – with no victories – since the Habs last won nearly 30 years ago.

With the team on the precipice of history, and folks in Montreal and Habs supporters elsewhere in Canada keen for any reason to celebrate amid the nation’s long battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not a surprise that fans were eager to snap up branded merchandise commemorating the Canadiens’ exciting playoff run and semifinal victory.

The “Carey” here is a play on the name of Canadiens’ Goalie Carey Price.

Naturally, the Habs are happy to oblige the demand for merch. Seemingly no sooner had Lehkonen’s puck punched the back of the net, than branded merchandise celebrating the Canadiens as “Semifinal Champs” – what in a non-COVID year would be conference champions – hit official team webstores and retail shops. Similarly, swag denoting the Canadiens as part of this year’s Stanley Cup Finals was also instantly available.

Habs T-shirt

This Semifinal Champions shirt is available here.

There was no shortage of stuff to delight fans. T-shirts, towels, pucks, pennants, silver mint coins, decals, can coolers, bottle coolers, shot glasses, pins, garden flags, mugs, tumblers, magnets, hats, lanyards – you name it, there was a Habs logo on it.

Habs koozie

The can cooler is available here.

Habs towel

Semifinal Champions locker room towel is available here.

Habs puck

The puck is available here.

 

Habs mug

The mug is available here.

The breadth of Habs merch – and clamorous demand for it – speaks to the important role promotional products can have in commemorating big occasions, especially in the world of sports. Today’s T-shirt can become tomorrow’s priceless collectible – memorabilia that will forever after evoke those feelings that came when the puck puffed the back of the net and your team won.

Should the Habs manage four more victories, expect another “merchsplosion” that dwarfs this one. Ole, Ole, Ole! #GoHabsGo.