Montreal Forum facts for kids
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Le Forum
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Interior of the arena (c.1972)
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| Address | 2313 Saint Catherine Street West |
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| Location | Montreal, Quebec |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 17,959 Basketball: 18,575 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 24, 1924 |
| Opened | November 29, 1924 |
| Renovated | 1998 (interior only; exterior still stands) |
| Expanded | 1949, 1968 |
| Closed | 11 March 1996 |
| Construction cost | C$1.5 million ($23.6 million in 2021 dollars ) |
| Architect | John S. Archibald |
| General contractor | Atlas Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
| Montreal Maroons (NHL) (1924–38) Montreal Canadiens (NHL) (1926–96) Montreal Junior Canadiens (QJHL) (1933–61) Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) (1961–72) Montreal Voyageurs (AHL) (1969–71) Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (QMJHL) (1972–75) Montreal Juniors (QMJHL) (1975–82) Montreal Manic (NASL Indoor) (1981–82) Montreal Roadrunners (RHI) (1994–95) |
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| Designated: | 1997 |
The Montreal Forum (also known as Le Forum de Montréal in French) is a very old and famous building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Many people call it "the most storied building in hockey history." It was a large indoor sports arena.
The Forum was the home of two important hockey teams: the Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938, and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996. It was built very quickly, in just 159 days! Today, most of the Forum building is a big movie theater called Cineplex Cinemas Forum.
This building is located at Atwater and Ste-Catherine West. It is famous because 24 Stanley Cup championships were won there. The Montreal Canadiens won 22 of these, and the Montreal Maroons won two. Other teams like the Montreal Roadrunners and Montreal Junior Canadiens also played there.
Contents
Building the Forum: A Look Back
The idea to build the Montreal Forum came about in 1923. Sir Edward Wentworth Beatty, who was the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, first thought of it. A plan was made for a huge rink with 12,500 seats.
However, because of money issues, the plans were changed. They decided to build a smaller rink with 9,300 seats. Even with this smaller size, it was hard to find money to build it at first. Finally, H. L. Timmins helped pay for the Forum. The place chosen for the new building was already called "the Forum" because it had been a roller skating rink. So, they kept the name. This spot had also been an outdoor ice hockey rink where famous players like Frank and Lester Patrick used to play when they were young.
The Montreal Forum officially opened its doors on November 29, 1924. It cost about $1.5 million to build. When it first opened, it could hold 9,300 people. The building was updated twice, once in 1949 and again in 1968. By the time it closed in 1996, it could fit 17,959 people, including standing room.
During the 1968 updates, a new digital score clock was put in the middle of the arena. In 1985, an even newer score clock was added. The Montreal Forum was known for its loud, high-pitched siren that signaled the end of a hockey period. This siren was later moved to the new arena, the Bell Centre, and is still used there today.
Hockey History at the Forum
The Montreal Forum was a very busy place for hockey. Besides being home to the Canadiens and Maroons, it also hosted many other hockey leagues. These included the Quebec Senior Hockey League and the Quebec Junior Hockey League.
The Forum hosted several Memorial Cup games. The Junior Canadiens even won the Memorial Cup on their home ice in 1970. In 1972, the Forum was the site of Game One of the famous "Summit Series" between Team Canada and the USSR. The USSR won that game 7-3. The Forum also hosted the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, which was the first time an NHL arena held this event.
The Montreal Forum saw many Stanley Cup Finals games. The Canadiens won many of their Stanley Cups right there. Only two visiting teams ever won the Stanley Cup on the Forum's ice: the New York Rangers in 1928 and the Calgary Flames in 1989.
The Last Game
On March 11, 1996, the Montreal Canadiens played their very last game at the Montreal Forum. They won against the Dallas Stars with a score of 4-1. After the game, many famous hockey players from the past were honored. One of the most special moments was when Maurice Richard, a beloved Canadiens player, received a sixteen-minute standing ovation. He was so moved that he cried.
A special torch, which was a symbol of the team's spirit, was carried out of the Canadiens' dressing room. It was passed from one former Canadiens captain to another, including Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard. Finally, it was given to the current captain, Pierre Turgeon. The next day, there was a parade where the torch was carried to the team's new home, the Bell Centre.
Other Sports and Events
The Forum was not just for hockey. It also hosted many other sports, like indoor soccer, boxing, lacrosse, and tennis. It was a very important venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics. During the Olympics, the Forum hosted the finals for gymnastics, handball, basketball, volleyball, and boxing. It was at the Forum that Nadia Comăneci made history by scoring the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics.
Many professional wrestling matches also took place at the Forum. You can even see some of these in an old documentary from 1961 called Wrestling.
Memorable Moments
The Montreal Forum was also a place for many other big events:
- On March 11, 1937, the Forum held its only funeral for Canadiens player Howie Morenz, who sadly died after a hockey injury.
- Famous music groups like The Beatles performed there in 1964.
- Bob Marley and the Wailers played a concert there in 1978.
- The Bee Gees had two sold-out concerts in 1979.
- The band Journey recorded some of their live album Captured at the Forum in 1980.
- Canadian rock band Rush filmed their concert movie Exit...Stage Left there in 1981.
- The band Queen also filmed their concert movie We Will Rock You (later called Queen Rock Montreal) at the Forum in 1981.
- Madonna performed two sold-out concerts in 1987.
- In 1990, Billy Graham held a large religious event called Mission Quebec, with almost 20,000 people attending.
Seating Capacity Over Time
The number of seats and standing room spots at the Forum changed over the years:
| Seats | Standing room |
Total | Period |
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| 9,300 | 3,200 | 12,500 | 1924–1949 |
| 13,551 | 2,000 | 15,551 | 1949–1968 |
| 16,500 | 2,500 | 19,000 | 1968–1978 |
| 16,074 | 2,002 | 18,076 | 1978–1991 |
| 16,259 | 1,700 | 17,959 | 1991–1996 |
The Forum Today
After the Canadiens moved out, the Montreal Forum building was used to film parts of the movie Snake Eyes. Then, the inside was completely changed to become a big entertainment center called the Pepsi Forum. It now has a large movie theater (Cineplex Cinemas Forum), shops, and restaurants.
Inside, you can still see a recreated center ice area, with a small section of the old seats. There's also a statue of a fan cheering and a statue of Maurice Richard. At the Saint Catherine Street entrance, there's a Quebec Walk of Fame with stars for Maurice Richard and Céline Dion. The Atwater street entrance has a large bronze Montreal Canadiens logo surrounded by 24 bronze Stanley Cup banners on the sidewalk.
The whole building is decorated to celebrate the Forum's amazing history, especially its connection to the Montreal Canadiens. In 1997, the building was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it's a very important place in Canada's history, especially for sports and culture.
See also
In Spanish: Forum de Montreal para niños
