Montreal Forum Auction and the Habs haven't won Since

The Forum has long held a special place in the hearts of Montreal hockey fans. The arena at Atwater Ave. and Ste-Catherine St. W. was the home of the  Canadiens for seven decades — including Les Glorieux’s most glorious years — until 1996. It also was home to the Maroons in the 1920s and ’30s.

The Habs played their final game there (a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars) on March 11, 1996. The occasion was marked with appropriate ceremony. Present were some of the biggest stars of the past, including Guy Lafleur, Jean Béliveau and Maurice (Rocket) Richard.

While memories may be priceless, that was not the case for the Forum’s seats, turnstiles, banners, nets and a host of other items. These were sold at auction to raise money for charity. Pierre Obendrauf’s photo of auctioneer Serge Belec taking centre stage in front of some of the items to be sold appeared on Page 1 of the Montreal Gazette on March 13, 1996, along with a column by Peggy Curran recounting the previous evening’s events.

“Before auctioneer Serge Belec even opened the bidding, Canadiens president Ronald Corey was so confident that he guaranteed a cheque of $100,000 to Centraide and the Old Timers Association. By the time the final hammer fell about midnight, $726,750 was in the till. Former NHL president Clarence Campbell’s seat went for $12,000. Corey’s block of four reds went for $9,000,” Curran wrote.

She marvelled that “a worn turnstile sold for $1,800, while a stick and jersey belonging to Donald Brashear, who hasn’t scored a goal this season, went for $2,500.”

The 1992-93 Stanley Cup championship banner was bought for $32,000. The Canadiens, who now play at the Bell Centre, have not won the Stanley Cup since.