Marc Dumont
As the Montreal Canadiens prepare to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of their first-round series, it’s difficult not to question the NHL’s decision-making when formulating the playoff schedule.
Before we get going, it’s important to remember that the league doesn’t revolve around the Habs, and that there are other factors to consider than just hockey. Arenas have become money-makers for their billionaire owners outside the modern sports setting, with concerts providing much of the profit throughout the year. With that in mind, it’s always difficult to produce a perfect schedule, as there is an endless stream of variables to consider.
And yet, while watching the crowd serenade the Canadiens after their exciting Game 3 win, I couldn’t help but wonder how much better the atmosphere would have been on a Saturday night.
Lane Hutson’s Habs playoff OT winner at the Bell Centre tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VpeMujdhjQ
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 25, 2026
On the surface, it probably shouldn’t make a difference. The Canadiens will have played two games on the weekend, Friday and Sunday, providing the Bell-Centre faithful with plenty of opportunities to celebrate the youngest team in the league.
But if the NHL’s goal is to give more exposure to the ultimate fan experience in a bid to grow the sport, they’d be well served by providing new fans with a glimpse of the most exciting atmosphere in North America, and that phenomenon only takes place on Saturday night, in the playoffs, at the Bell Centre.
Admittedly, this opinion is dripping in arrogance, as there are other arenas that provide a healthy atmosphere, but there’s a reason the Bell Centre is perennially ranked as the best rink in the league.
No other arena can match the intensity, and no other fans can maintain that level of intensity throughout sixty minutes of play, or more.
And given the intensity involved in every game that features the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the odds of having an underwhelming game on a national broadcast would be mitigated considerably.
