1. Serendipity and Les Habitants. A thread about riots, revolution, Rocket Richard & the absolutely bizarre set of coincidences behind Montreal's current Stanley Cup run... 
2. So, as you probably already know: the Montreal Canadiens have made it to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals.
And in doing so, they've won the Clarence Campbell Bowl for the first time in their 103 year history.
And in doing so, they've won the Clarence Campbell Bowl for the first time in their 103 year history.
3. It's the first time ever because the trophy is normally reserved for teams from the league's Western Conference. But pandemic-driven rejigging meant the Canadiens — an Eastern Conference team — were placed in the Western Conference this year.
4. And so, this was likely the *only* chance the Habs will ever get to win the Clarence Campbell Bowl — and against all the odds, as overwhelming underdogs, they actually did it.
5. So. That's pretty weird. But it's just the tip of the serendipity iceberg — not only because Clarence Campbell is a man with a particularly notorious connection to the Habs, but because yesterday was a particularly special day for a big Canadiens win.
6. Les Habitants won the Clarence Campbell Bowl on June 24th.
June 24th is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day — also known as the Fête nationale du Québec. Québec's National Holiday.
June 24th is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day — also known as the Fête nationale du Québec. Québec's National Holiday.
7. It's a day of celebration that goes all the way back to the early 1600s, brought here by the earliest French colonists. And over the next three centuries it morphed into a celebration of Canadien/francophone cultural identity in the face of British/anglophone colonial rule.
8. The original francophone anthem, "O Canada", was commissioned specifically for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in 1880.
One hundred years later, that song (with an English translation) became Canada's national anthem.
One hundred years later, that song (with an English translation) became Canada's national anthem.
9. But in between, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day became directly associated with Québecois political protest. During the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, the old feast day was intrinsically connected to the quest for separatism.
10. That's when the old feast day got a new anthem: "Gens du pays", composed by legendary folk singer Gilles Vigneault.
Last night, as the Habs were presented with the Clarence Campbell Bowl, "Gens du pays" was playing over the loudspeakers.
Last night, as the Habs were presented with the Clarence Campbell Bowl, "Gens du pays" was playing over the loudspeakers.
11. Which finally bring us to Clarence Campbell, Maurice Richard and one the most notorious hockey riots of all-time...
12. The most famous player to ever don the colours, bleu-blanc-rouge, was Maurice "Rocket" Richard. He was an unstoppable force on the ice, and has an annual NHL trophy named after him for the league's top goal-scorer.
13. Richard's talents made him a target; opponents tried to provoke him constantly, to subdue him with the penalty box.
And one night in 1955, it worked a little *too* well: Richard took a slash to the face and, enraged, punched a linesman during the ensuing brawl.
And one night in 1955, it worked a little *too* well: Richard took a slash to the face and, enraged, punched a linesman during the ensuing brawl.
14. It was none other than Clarence Campbell, the President of the NHL (and an anglophone), who handed down the punishment.
He threw the book at Richard, banning him for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
He threw the book at Richard, banning him for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
15. Montrealers did *not* take the news well.
It was the longest suspension Campbell had ever doled out. And many people in Québec didn't just think it was too harsh, but that it was inspired by anti-francophone prejudice.
It was the longest suspension Campbell had ever doled out. And many people in Québec didn't just think it was too harsh, but that it was inspired by anti-francophone prejudice.
16. When Campbell arrogantly dared to attend the next Canadien game in-person — on St. Patrick's Day — all hell broke loose. The crowd booed him & threw stuff; someone punched him in the face.
The Forum erupted. Tear gas was thrown & a riot began.
The Forum erupted. Tear gas was thrown & a riot began.
17. It's generally accepted that the Richard Riot of 1955 was one of the events that sparked the Quiet Revolution, a period of intense sociopolitical change in Québec that re-moulded the province into what it is today.
18. It's a subject much too complex to sum up succinctly here, but included secularization of civil institutions, strengthened provincial control over economics & development, and socio-cultural transformation. It also spurred on the separatism movement.
19. The Richard Riot was the beginning of something much larger, a generational upheaval that clearly reverberates to this day.
20. The serendipity of the Canadiens winning the Clarence Campbell Bowl in their one-and-only chance to do it, on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, is a layer cake of significance too thick to absorb.
And that's the storytelling power of Canada's national winter sport at its best.
And that's the storytelling power of Canada's national winter sport at its best.
Thanks for reading! If you'd like to learn more about the history of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day & its connection to the bizarre history of "O Canada", check out the very first episode of Canadiana we ever made:
And get ready for much more Canadiana in the months tom come. We start filming Season Three in just a few weeks!
Oh and #GoHabsGo!
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