Ice hockey is as much a part of Canada’s cultural identity as maple syrup and experiencing all the thrill of a live game is something that should be on your bucket list. As home to “Les Canadiens”, Montreal is a city that is crazy about ice hockey and one of the best places to experience a National Hockey League game or attend a tournament. 

In this guide, discover tips and recommendations for planning a vacation around Montreal’s hockey tournaments, whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned fan. If you’re looking for an affordable rental during your Montreal stay, you can head to findallrentals.ca, a user-friendly resource that offers everything from family-friendly houses to apartments in the heart of the city. You can find Downtown options near the Bell Centre for home games of the Montreal Canadiens, as well as neighbourhood stays near the city’s suburban arenas. 

Lock in your dates (and secure your tickets)

First things first, decide on the dates you want to stay in Montreal, whether it’s to coincide with a junior ice hockey tournament or to attend a National Hockey League game. If it’s the latter, then you’ll also need to secure tickets via the NHL’s official website, which is the place to head for both season tickets and single-game tickets. 

Arrive well ahead of game day

If you really want to soak up Montreal’s ice hockey culture, plan to arrive a couple of days ahead of game day to tour the Bell Centre and see the Habs dressing room. In Centennial Plaza, you can see statues honouring some of the Habs greatest players, such as Guy Lafleur and Howie Morenz, before picking up a jersey or scarf at the Habs Pro Shop. 

Don’t forget, Montreal has a wealth of things to see and do that aren’t hockey related, so you might want to combine your sporting holiday with a bit of sightseeing. You can explore the cobblestoned streets of Vieux-Montreal and admire the exquisite Notre-Dame Basilica before soaking up the city views from Parc du Mont-Royal. Quebec’s most populous city is also home to great museums, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Montreal Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of Archaeology and History. 

Book your flight, train, or bus

Once you’ve decided on your dates, don’t procrastinate when it comes to booking your flight, train, or bus tickets. Home games of the Montreal Canadiens are a busy time in the city, with lots of fans flocking in, so you don’t want to leave it to the last minute! 

Flights arrive from destinations across Canada and beyond to the Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport while trains terminate at the Central Railway Station. There are also cross-border bus services from the United States to the Montreal Bus Central Station. 

Find a place to stay

The best place to stay in Montreal will depend on where your ice hockey tournament or game is being held, with dozens of arenas located throughout the city. With the capacity to seat more than 21,000 fans, the Bell Centre is conveniently located in the Downtown area, which is one of the most popular places to stay in Montreal. In the surrounding area, you’ll find plenty of holiday rentals to choose from, not to mention great restaurants and bars where you can celebrate after the game. 

Named after a former Olympic athlete, the Centre Étienne Desmarteau regularly hosts ice hockey tournaments and is located in the northern borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie. Rentals here have a more suburban feel to them, with great neighbourhood cafes to discover during your stay. If you’re attending the CAN/AM Challenge Cup at the Sportsplexe Pierrefonds, look for a rental in Montreal’s west near Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The Montreal Adult Hockey Classic is another major tournament that takes place in the city, with the Arena de Sainte-Julie, the Arena Gilles-Chabot, the Centre Sportif Gaetan-Boucher, and the Colisee Isabelle-Brasseur all hosting games. 

Getting around Montreal

Lucky for sports fans, Montreal has an efficient public transportation system, making it easy to access the city’s ice hockey arenas. In addition to its underground subway system (with four colour-coded lines), the city has an extensive bus network and several train lines that will get you from A to B. 

The Bell Centre is well-served by the Lucien-L’Allier subway and railway stations, with plenty of services on game days. Because of its central location, the Bell Centre can easily be accessed on foot if you’re staying in Downtown Montreal, the International District, or Golden Square Mile. Taxis and share-ride services are also available in Montreal and the city has a bike-sharing program known as BIXI that is easy to use.