MONTREAL -- Hockey fans unable to get a foot inside the Bell Centre this Friday will be able to attend free viewing parties at the Quartier des spectacles in downtown Montreal or the Olympic Park in the city's east end.
"For several days now, we have been working hard to find solutions to provide Montrealers with places to gather, in compliance with the health measures in effect, to watch the Montreal Canadiens games free of charge," said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante. "We are slowly recovering from a historic pandemic and the Stanley Cup final is a timely moment to bring people together."
The Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals; the home team is currently down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
"This is a great opportunity to be at the Olympic Park to cheer on our Canadiens," said Alain Larochelle, vice-president of operations and commercial development.
Anyone looking to watch the game at the iconic landmark will have to reserve tickets starting at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The two separate viewing party announcements come as Quebec's health ministry, in collaboration with public health officials, states that outdoor festivals can now accommodate up to 5,000 people thanks to "the favourable evolution" of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, people who do not live at the same address are encouraged to keep a safe distance of 1.5 meters between them.
"What a joy it is to see all the fans smiling again to the rhythm of the Montreal Canadiens' victories and to be able to bring thousands of Montrealers together again at the Place des Festivals after such a long absence," adds Monique Simard, chair of the Board of Directors of the Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles.
The puck drops on Game 3 at 8 p.m. Friday at the Bell Centre. Wednesday, public health denied the Montreal Canadiens' request to allow 10,500 people inside the arena to watch the finals live.
The capacity at the Bell Centre is currently capped at 3,500 people. Officials confirm futher details about the screenings will be announced "shortly."
