Just saw that they will once again be removing seating [~300-400] at the Bell Center in order to create another premium section. This time, it will be in the reds…. All in the name of the “fan experience”. With this change, the Bell Center won’t be a 21 000+ seater anymore.
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like they are slowly ruining the Bell Center every year. It started with the M2 end (or wtv it’s called) in the Desjardins section and now this new planned section. If you really want to increase the fan experience, idk maybe create a supporter section or something. Soon we will be like the Leafs where it’s all corporate people with no atmosphere.
Here is the link: https://x.com/bpmsportsradio/status/1759952248778432683?s=46&t=J00f9gdS5AeAyjH3tf4-ZQ
by Accomplished-Bet106
25 Comments
According to [dose.ca](https://dose.ca/2024/02/20/a-new-premium-section-at-the-bell-centre/)
> This morning, Max Lalonde revealed on BPM Sports that a new “Premium” section will be created at the Bell Centre, to be located in the reds at ice level (sections 121, 122 and 123) and called “le parterre”
> The problem, as Max Lalonde explained, is that there are season ticket holders who are usually seated in these sections. They’ll be at the Bell Centre tonight for a 5 à 7, when the Habs organization will present the new project.
> According to Max Lalonde, the creation of the new section could result in the removal of 457 to 325 seats. We’ll have to find a way to relocate season-ticket holders who have seats in those sections, because the price of season tickets in the “parterre” is astronomical.
> “The price for the parterre will vary between $20,000 and $29,000 depending on location (per ~~ticket~~ season). – Max Lalonde”.
> According to Max Lalonde, the new section is scheduled to open in the 2025-2026 season.
I get that they wanna maximise profit but this is an L and unecessary move. 400 loud people cheering > 10
Ahhh yes, everything is crazy expensive let’s…. get rid of seats and charge a premium !
If Molson wants to be that greedy then just raise the price of tickets, removing seats means less fans get to watch the games in person
Ugh… if they keep this up it’ll be quiet like Toronto
Removing seating where working class fans and families sit so that there could be seats for suits. Sad
Hey Habs social media monitors: I go to ~10-12 games a year in the 400s, I am on the waiting list for season tickets up there. I hate everything about this. Centre bell is a special place, working families drive 10+ hours to go to one game, and you want to remove 400 seats? We are already having way too many people who aren’t in their 100s seats until midway through the first period. Isn’t the team better when people who give a crap are actually in the arena?
This is sports, not beer. Fuck around with the margins on your beer franchise, own a sports franchise (and arguably, THE sports franchise) to be a legend in the community.
Molson is a piece of shit who’s only achievement in life is having a rich daddy. He does not give a shit about habs fans or what the Montréal Canadiens represent, as shown by this change or having ads on the jersey despite already making a shitton of money.
My last trip to Montreal was around 15 years ago. I didn’t think it would be my last live Habs game but it sure seems to be heading in that direction on cost alone.
This isn’t very CHarecter of you guys.
For shame Molson/ Habs.
Just because 3500 can sound like 35,000 swear to god.. doesn’t mean we should be forced to because you want a bunch of corporate suits in a new bullshit section.
You’re going to kill the best arena in the league.
Bell Center is dead boys… pack it in!
Of course I’m being a tad facetious here but the atmosphere has been steadily declining for decades. It’s not as fun as it used to be (aside from nights when big rivals come to town or playoffs).
Honnêtement je sais que c’est impossible, et si ce l’est ce serait fort probablement de la criss de marde, mais avec les rénovations au Stade Olympic, je me demande si ça serait pas possible de configurer de manière semi-permanente une glace et des sièges, mettons juste pour les games du samedi soir.
Faudrait vraiment penser au concept pour que les gens soient soient assit plus près que dans des amphithéâtres extérieurs par exemple. Je sais que si le prix est correct plusieurs personnes iraient pour l’ambiance.
The comment about becoming like the Leafs made me shudder. I’ve been to games there and it’s lifeless compared to the BC, especially in the lower bowl.
Other than the NFL, the NHL has to be the most rapacious league in terms of naked greed. Whether it’s the ads on the boards and jerseys, eliminating “affordable” seats for premium, charging extra for printed tickets, not to mention a half dozen billionaires who want a team in their city, it’s become really disgusting.
Nothing the NHL does is designed to enhance the fan experience. If it just happens to, then it’s gravy, but if they can milk an extra dollar out of fans, they’ll do it.
Bell center hasn’t been the place it used to be for years now. My wife’s family had season tickets from 2007 to 2019 and the change in atmosphere during those 12 years was very dramatic
Fuck it I’ll get political. This is just part of the wider trend of commercial services to cater more to the wealthy, this is an inevitable byproduct of economic policies that have increased wealth inequality and reduced the size of the middle class over the past 50 years. Sports franchises build their identities off of an attachment to their cities and communities even if they have fans all over the world, yet the communities have no say in how they are run, and these private business then leverage this attachment to get municipalities to subsidize their stadiums, and therefore there profits, despite all the economic evidence suggesting that is is against the cities economic interest to to so.(The Bell Centre at least was built using no municipal funding). All this to say I think the nationalizing (perhaps at the municipal or provisional level) of profession sports clubs is something governments should consider.
Fucking hell whyyyyyyyy
I literally just sat in 123 this past Saturday, and try to sit in that section every time I go. Gutted to hear this.
bring back standing room only for $20 a crack you elitist swine
$20k a year for season tickets in “le parterre” is actually madness — and the fact that they’re going to be taking up premium, near-ice real estate to do it. i hate this
They are taking out 132 seats guys, not 450 (457 seats to 325 seats for the sections they are touching). It’s barely half a percent of the overall capacity. I don’t think it really matters. Who cares if a handful of people want to splurge 30k, it’s not going to change the atmosphere.
Can’t wait to throw my 13$ beer from my section 120 places to the scum on Le Parterre.
Come on avec le chialage les gars… Ça l’air quand même nice pour vrai la section parterre!
Si j’avais les moyens je m’achèterai probablement des billets pour y aller, au moins une fois. Je ne pense pas être le seul d’ailleurs.
Si l’on se compare aux autres organisations dans la ligue je trouve que le prix qu’on paye est relativement raisonnable. Même la bière et la bouffe au Centre Bell en 2024 c’est pas exagéré si je compare à d’autres places en ville (restos, bars, clubs, etc.)
Je pense que la seule chose que Molson doit aux partisans c’est une équipe compétitive sur la glace. Le reste c’est juste du flafla.
Ceux qui peuvent se permettre d’aller au Centre Bell y vont, les autres bin it is what it is, I mean what do you expect?
Et pour les comparaisons avec Toronto, ça rien à voir. Montréal est une ville complètement distincte de Toronto. Presque tous les sièges dans les rouges sont déjà des billets corporatifs anyway et l’ambiance au Centre Bell est autrement plus électrisante comparé au Scotiabank Arena.
Pourquoi est-ce que Molson ne devrait pas proposer de nouvelles expériences à ceux qui financent son équipe?
Certains diront qu’il le fait au détriment des vrais fans… mais qu’avez-vous fait vous les vrais fans? Vous faites juste consommer un produit au final, faut pas prendre ça autant à coeur.
C’est une business at the end of the day et même si j’suis en partie d’accord avec vous, je vois pas l’intérêt de chialer.
Si j’avais à chialer je chialerai sur les revendeurs de billets. C’est eux les pires en réalité
Ill stay at home watching instead of paying premium price for the “experience”
The Molson family is also celebrating this by raising the price of the tall boys to 26$ 
The Montreal crowd will NEVER be as quiet as the Leaf crowd.
Never.
You guys really think molson gives a fuck about you?