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October 18th, 2005, 03:40 AM

I didn't know there was such a thing as a Sens fan in Toronto...
I knew there were Habs fans in Toronto, Leafs fans in Ottawa, but Sens fans in Toronto? :weird:

Anyways, I found a good article for a chuckle about what Habs fans in Toronto are faced with: :tongue3:

Tough to be a Habs fan in Toronto

For Montreal expatriates used to a nourishing environment of bleu, blanc, rouge, the oppressive Maple Leaf hockey regime in Hogtown can be unbearable. But one bar has become a safe haven for Canadiens fans.

ANDY LEVY-AJZENKOPF
Freelance
Sunday, October 16, 2005

The following words have no meaning to your average Toronto Maple Leafs hockey fan: Latendresse, Plekanec, Streit, Higgins, Perezhogin, Ivanans, Stanley or Cup. Examples like this make it hard for displaced Habs fans living in Toronto to appreciate every new NHL season comme il faut: by living, breathing and talking about the Canadiens daily.

Montreal expatriates (like myself) often find it hard to go from living in a nourishing environment of bleu, blanc, rouge to being immersed in a culture of just plain bleu. It's tough to survive in a milieu where Nick Kypreos billboards abound, sports talk radio gushes incessantly about the messianic properties of Eric Lindros and all the preseason predictions in the papers had the Leafs finishing ahead of the Canadiens. Throw in the fact that Ken Dryden is an Ontario Liberal member of Parliament and it's enough to make you want to curl up in your lucky Guy Lafleur sweater and hibernate until the playoffs.

Sebastien Raemdock, a 33-year-old musician, moved to Toronto from Montreal five years ago and instantly felt uneasy about his new city's hockey mindset. "People make fun of you if you're a Habs fan here," he said. "It's hard."

It's a sentiment many Canadiens fans living in the "Big Smoke" share.

Patrick, 31, has been in Toronto for three years. He's frustrated and fed up with the Leafs Nation.

"Before I came here, I was a fan, but I was never really in touch with my sense of hockey," he said. "I was so inundated by Toronto hockey (culture) I felt I needed to find my Montreal identity again."

Thankfully, Patrick and many others have found what they needed.

Despite the oppressive Maple Leaf hockey regime in Hogtown, weary Habs fans can find safe haven from blue and white verbal thuggery in a place called Kilgour's Bar Meets Grill. Run by brothers Andrew and Peter Kilgour, the bar sits unassumingly on a busy corner of Bloor St., in the heart of Toronto's hip Annex district (think Plateau, only much, much more English). It's the only bar in Toronto exclusively dedicated to showing Canadiens games; all thanks to Peter Kilgour; unabashed Habs super-fan and master of the bar's TV remote control. Though born in Toronto, Kilgour's formative years were spent idolizing Jean Beliveau. As such, Montreal became his team.

The Kilgours have operated the bar for more than 10 years, providing refuge for weary ex-Montrealers in thirst of a Habs fix. "We opened around the same time they were closing down the old Forum," said Peter, wiping an invisible tear from his eye.

While modest in size (Kilgour's will never be confused with Champs or any Cage aux Sports), it's a great spot for Canadiens fans to congregate, share three periods of camaraderie and practise dormant French language skills. And Kilgour himself is always ready to partake in the fun.

"During Habs-Leafs games, my brother and I goad each other," Kilgour said. "I'll dress up in full Habs regalia. I get a little ribbed by Toronto fans ... but it's all good-natured, you know. It's a love-hate relationship."

Kilgour realizes he's providing an essential service.

"We get a lot of students and people who moved here from Montreal," he said. "They want a place to come watch the games. I've put the word out and I've been very lucky to have good publicity for the bar. I've got people coming from all across the city to watch the games."

He has also set up a Canadiens mini-shrine just next to his big-screen TV. It's adorned with Beliveau and Maurice Richard posters as well as Canadiens flags and banners. It's a welcome sight for his patrons' sore eyes.

And for that, Kilgour gets a hearty merci beaucoup from his clientele. Because to them, coming here is more than just a social activity, it's therapy.

At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, opening night of the NHL season, Kilgour's was brimming with Habs fans waiting for the puck to drop at 7 in Boston. Kilgour was pacing back and forth behind the bar, fidgeting anxiously with his satellite reception and muttering under his breath when he couldn't find the feed. Lisa, a 35-year-old waitress (but not for Kilgour's) and ex-Montrealer, was sitting at the end of the bar, smiling.

"I was never really much of a hockey fan, but I needed to find somewhere to reconnect with Montreal," she said. "I'm glad I found this place."

Patrick was sitting next to her and nodded his head in agreement.

"I needed this place as a refuge," he said.

Just then, Kilgour found the satellite feed and images of les habitants, 2005-06 edition, flooded the screen of the plasma TV. A cheer went up from the bar as previously unnoticed Christmas lights around the mini-shrine came to life. Some baffled Maple Leafs fans at the back table looked around to see what the fuss was about. After all, their game wasn't on until 8 p.m., and could Peter please turn the volume down a tad?

Kilgour threw them a contemptuous look and pumped up the volume even more. Two minutes later, the puck dropped.

Sebastien looked up at the screen and contentedly stated, "Ca fait du bien."

Yes, indeed.

Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf is a freelance journalist and lifelong Habs fan now living in Toronto.

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2005