Sport in Montreal
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[edit] Professional sports
Montreal is famous for its hockey-hungry fans. The Montreal Canadiens is one of the 'Original Six' NHL teams, and boasts the greatest number of Stanley Cup championships.
The Montreal Alouettes of the CFL play at Molson Stadium and have been one of the most successful CFL teams of the new millennium in terms of division championships won and sellout crowds.
Montreal is also the site of two high-profile racing events each year: the Canadian Grand Prix, and the Molson Indy Montreal of the Champcars Series. Both races take place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Île Notre-Dame. As of 2006, NASCAR is also rumored to be in talks with city officials and the track promoter about a possible racedate, most likely for the Busch Series at first and possibly the Nextel Cup down the road.
Montreal was the home of a major league baseball team, the Montreal Expos, named after the 1967 World's Fair, and began playing in Montreal at in 1969. However, due to low attendance and other financial factors, the team moved to Washington, DC in 2005, where it was re-named the Washington Nationals.[1][2] On July 13, 1982, Montreal hosted the first Major League Baseball All-Star Game outside the United States.
The city's current USL First Division soccer team is called the Montreal Impact.
Montreal has an all-sports radio station, CKGM (The Team 990).
Monteal has become one of the top boxing cities in the world, hosting the third most events in North America, only behind Atlantic City and Las Vegas. The city also currently has three world champions in Joachim Alcine, Lucian Bute, and Adrian Diaconu as well as a number of top contenders such as Herman Ngoudjo, Jean Pascal, and Sebastian Demers.
[edit] Amateur sports
The most important sporting event in Montreal's history was when Montreal played host to the 1976 Summer Olympics.
In July 2005 Montreal hosted the 11th FINA World Aquatics Championships.
In 2006, Montreal was expected to attract some 16,000 LGBT athletes, who will participate in the first-ever GLISA World Outgames. The Outgames are being hailed as the largest international event in the city of Montreal since the 1976 Olympics.[3]
The Gaelic Athletic Association of hurling and Gaelic football are also played by Irish immigrants and descendants in Montreal under the banner of Montreal Shamrocks Cumann Lúthchleas Gael.
Although university football has long been popular with Anglo Montrealers, who support the McGill Redmen and Concordia Stingers, enthusiastic Francophone crowds also enjoy the Université de Montréal's Carabins "en français".[4] McGill itself was rocked by a hazing scandal in 2005 and shut down its program for the remainder of the season.
[edit] Current professional franchises
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | NHL Hockey | Bell Centre | 1909 | 24 |
| Montreal Alouettes | CFL Football | Molson stadium | 1946 |
6 |
| Montreal Impact | USL Soccer | Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard | 1993 | 2 |
| Montreal Royal | ABA Basketball | Centre Pierre Charbonneau | 2005 | 0 |
| Montreal Mission | NRL Ringette | Various | 2004 | 0 |
[edit] Major sports venues
| Venue | Capacity | Team/Tournament/Attraction |
| Gilles Villeneuve Circuit | 100,000 | |
| Olympic Stadium | 65,255 |
|
| Hippodrome de Montreal | 25,000 | Horse Racing |
| Bell Centre | 21,500 | Montreal Canadiens |
| Molson Stadium | 20,202 | |
| Île Sainte-Hélène Aquatic Complex | XI Fina World Championships | |
| Stade Uniprix | 28,456 | |
| Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard | 9,500 |
[edit] Former professional franchises
[edit] Recreational sports
Montreal has a well developed network of bicycle paths.[5] Bike rentals are available at the Old Port of Montreal, as well as quadricycles, inline skates, children trailers, and segways.
In addition to a network of parks that include le Parc du Mont-Royal, on the mountain's side, Montreal offers five beaches around the island for recreational activities: Cap St. Jacques Nature Park, Bois-de-L’Ile Bizard Nature Park, Jean Drapeau Park Beach, Pointe Calumet Beach Club and Oka Beach. The Quebec Ministry of Environment tests the beaches for pollutants. Rated “A” to “D”.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ ESPN - Expo's move to Washington
- ^ ESPN - MLB - D.C. lands Expos
- ^ Outgames hit Montreal - The Link, Concordia University
- ^ Carabins - University of Montreal (French)
- ^ Montreal Bike route maps
- ^ Government of Quebec - Current water quality of Montreal beaches (French)
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