MONTREAL – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas: the temperature is dropping, the city is covered in snow, and the Canadiens were back in the community for the team’s annual holiday hospital visits.
Three Montreal-area hospitals – CHU Sainte-Justine, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada – saw the Habs split up into groups on Tuesday to share Yuletide cheer. Nearly 400 kids received visits from the players, who delivered gifts, hung out with parents, and even decorated Christmas cookies virtually with one group of patients.
“It’s special. I mean, you never really get a chance to go do that on a normal day, so, the least we can do is go and give back to these kids around Christmas time,” underlined defenseman Kaiden Guhle, who was participating in his second edition of the event. “We know they're going through a lot, and again, it’s the least we can do to put a smile on their faces. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, so whatever we can do to kind of take their minds off and think some happy thoughts for a day is special. We’re very lucky and grateful that we get to go do that today.”