Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (13) celebrates after his goal with Juraj Slafkovsk媒 (20) and Nick Suzuki (14) in the third period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (13) celebrates after his goal with Juraj Slafkovsk媒 (20) and Nick Suzuki (14) in the third period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
MONTREAL (AP) 鈥 City buses in Montreal have dropped the expression 鈥淕o! Canadiens Go!鈥 following a complaint to Quebec鈥檚 language watchdog.
Montreal鈥檚 transit agency is now using the French expression 鈥淎llez! Canadiens Allez!鈥 on the electronic displays on the front of its buses to show support for the Montreal Canadiens鈥 NHL playoff run. The decision was made because the word 鈥済o鈥 is an anglicism, said spokesperson Isabelle Tremblay.
The expression 鈥淕o Habs Go!鈥 is used extensively in Quebec to support the Montreal hockey team. It is also used widely by the team itself, including on social media. The hashtag #GoHabsGo appears in oversized letters outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, the home arena of the Canadiens.
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Tremblay said Quebec鈥檚 French-language office received a complaint last year about buses displaying the words 鈥淕o! CF Mtl Go!鈥 鈥 a reference to Montreal鈥檚 professional soccer club. In response, the Soci茅t茅 de transport de Montr茅al (STM) decided to change the word 鈥済o鈥 with 鈥渁llez鈥 鈥 the French equivalent 鈥 on all of its messaging.
Tremblay said it 鈥渕aintains team spirit鈥 while complying with Quebec鈥檚 recent overhaul of its French language charter.
The agency has been gradually changing the language on its fleet of buses since the end of last summer. Tremblay said the modification must be made manually on each bus, so the work was only completed earlier this year. The change was first reported Thursday by the Montreal Gazette.
A spokesperson for the Montreal Canadiens declined to comment on the matter. The team clinched a playoff spot last week, and trails 2-0 in the best-of-seven matchup against the Washington Capitals. The Canadiens host Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday.
In Quebec City on Thursday, the move was widely panned by opposition parties, including the Parti Qu茅b茅cois, which positions itself as a champion of the French language.
鈥淲e have other priorities for the French language in Quebec,鈥 said PQ legislature member Catherine Gentilcore, adding that leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will continue to use #GoHabsGo on the X platform.
The Quebec Community Groups Network, which represents English-speaking Quebecers, dismissed the decision as 鈥渟illiness鈥 in a social media post.
鈥淓VERYONE yells #GoHabsGo! at the Bell Centre,鈥 the group said. 鈥淥ur buses should be allowed to do the same.鈥
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