Montreal had a hot dog moment on Saturday night, and it played out on the ice.
Soon after Canadiens fans chanted “We want Larkin” at Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, a large inflatable hot dog and bun were sent toward the rink at Bell Centre. The bun ended up striking Canadiens players and the bench.
The stunt came from one of the arena’s in-game promotions. At Bell Centre, the hot dog challenge asks fans to bring together a giant inflatable sausage and bun, each nearly 10 feet long, within 30 seconds. One side of the arena starts with the hot dog, the other with the bun, and if the challenge is completed, every fan gets a coupon for a free hot dog.
Hot dogs have long been part of the Canadiens experience, but this season brought a noticeable change. Under Groupe CH CEO Yves Lowe, the sausage has been enlarged while the price has stayed at $5.25 CAD.
That fits with the place hot dogs have held around Canadiens hockey for decades. They’ve been a familiar part of the scene at the Montreal Forum and Bell Centre, served to media, visiting teams and fans in the building.
“Our historical stats do not keep track of our famous hot dogs!” Montreal Canadiens historian Carl Lavigne told The Athletic in 2019. “For as far as we can remember, the hot dogs have been part of our ‘hockey culture.’”
The Canadiens now move on to Wednesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, when fans will get another crack at the hot dog challenge.
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The trickier part is figuring out what to do with Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson, two young players the Red Wings need to become more than just depth options. Both have had a harder time carving out real NHL influence, and the development case for each could point back to Grand Rapids for more seasoning before Detroit asks them to carry more of the load. [Read more 🡒]