As they prepare to battle the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre, Claude Julien's troops will be substituting their family names for their nicknames to support of a worthy cause.
These jerseys will be autographed and auctioned off to raise funds for the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation, which will be hosting the 10th edition of its RadioTéléDON on Tuesday as well.
"Teamwork and camaraderie are values that the Foundation models every day. Whether in winter or summer, thousands of underprivileged youth throughout the province of Quebec are involved in our programs and initiatives every year. The goal is to build each child up while promising them a better and healthier future," said Ryan Frank, the Foundation's manager of fundraising, partnerships and events. "Having nicknames is one way to identify the people we care most about in our circles."
The auction will be open from 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 8.
Click here
to register for the digital auction.
You can also register for the digital auction by texting HABS to (514) 900-2220.
The Habs and their nicknames
One of the cooler nicknames on the roster belongs to Antti Niemi, of course.
The 35-year-old goaltender is affectionately known as "Nemo" to his teammates.
"I actually have no idea where it came from, but I've had it for a long time. I would say early in my time with San Jose, maybe," said Niemi, on the origin of his moniker. "I'm sure lots of kids like it [because it's similar to the animated film Finding Nemo]. My buddies' kids like it, for sure."
"Nemo" wasn't always Niemi's nickname, though.
"When I was still playing in Finland, they called me "Andy,"" mentioned Niemi. "Lots of people still do, but it never translated over."
Like Niemi, defenseman Jeff Petry has seen his nickname evolve over the years.
"It wasn't always "Petey." When I was in Junior, it was "Dish," like petri dish. In high school, it was "Peaches," which was my dad's nickname when he played baseball. I think a lot of people knew about that, so that was it," explained the veteran blueliner. "Those are the three I can think of."