Protesters: Habs Insufficiently French

After a month of heated debates, many French Canadiens fans are still upset about the team's new English-speaking coach.

Hundreds of protesters rallied outside Montreal’s Bell Centre Saturday as the Habs geared up for their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Chanting “Montreal, en francais,” the crowd outside the stadium handed out Quebec flags in response to last month’s appointment of unilingual head coach Randy Cunneyworth. Protesters said that selecting a coach who does not speak French reflected a lack of respect for fans. Crowd members also complained about stadium announcements in English and French, English music at games, and a lack of French players on the team. Earlier this month, general manager Pierre Gauthier issued a rare public apology for hiring the team’s first non-French-speaking coach in 40 years.

Image courtesy of Reuters.