At the corner of St. Catherine and Wood avenue, buried beneath the concrete and steel, lies an unsung grave. On December 31, 1898, one of the finest indoor arenas was constructed to play home for many of Montreal’s hockey clubs. The Shamrock, Victoria’s, and Wanderers all skated in one of Canada’s most prestigious towns, in one of the world’s most magnificent arena’s, which at capacity held 10 000 hollering fans.
Most importantly, the rink played home to Montreal’s first Stanley Cup champion team. The journey of the greatest hockey team began on this site. Player/Coach Newsy Lalonde and goaltender Georges Vezina led the Canadiens to a 3-2 series victory over the Portland Rosebuds capturing the 1915-1916 Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the original Westmount Arena burned down on January 2, 1918. However, since then les tricolores have hoisted the silver 23 more times.
As we head into the centennial season, we remember the great history, but after struggling through the past decade we can finally look to the future with excitement and belief that the Cup will return home.
In the same year that the Canadiens celebrate their 100th year, Westmount has decided to put together plans to construct a new arena.
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