Fans Say Seeing Habs at Home in Final a Once in a Lifetime Experience

Montreal Canadiens fans look on outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, on July 2, 2021, during game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes

MONTREAL—Even with the arena at a fraction of its capacity and despite their team trailing for more than 58 minutes, the fans at Montreal’s Bell Centre were never quiet on Friday night.

For some of the 3,500 fans at the Bell Centre, seeing the first Habs home game in a Stanley Cup final series since 1993—as they faced off against Tampa Bay in Game 3 of the series—was a once in a lifetime experience.