The No. 8 seed Montreal Canadiens recently eliminated the No. 2 seed Pittsburgh Penguins from the playoffs, which gave the entire city a reason to celebrate. After the game, which had been broadcasted live on a big screen at the Bell Centre, fans took to the streets to celebrate the improbable victory. Part of St. Catherine St. was closed to vehicular traffic as a result. But it didn't take long for things to get ugly in the midst of this celebratory atmosphere.
Several people began smashing windows of some of the stores on St. Catherine, and subsequently began stealing things from them. The police, which were out in full force, later made 41 arrests in connection with the thievery. Some of the individuals taken into custody were minors.
Now, I can understand that people were very happy with the Habs' epic victory. I know I was; I had been watching the game at home. But what connection does smashing windows and looting stores have to do with being a hockey fan? I fail to see one. I find these actions to be stupid and pointless. Yes, the Habs won, and as great as that is, that doesn't mean that you have to go around destroying everything in sight. In addition, there are cameras virtually everywhere on St. Catherine, so this makes the people who committed these despicable acts look even more stupid. I'm sure that the surveillance video(s) will be used to apprehend all the indivduals that were responsible for this.
These overly rowdy individuals aren't true hockey fans, in my opinion. The true fans are those who are able to celebrate a monumental win with some good-natured fun and partying. Looting doesn't make you a better hockey fan; it makes you a better criminal. I hope that our police force deals with these idiots in a way they see fit. This is beyond unacceptable, and hopefully, it will not continue. I shudder to think about what would happen if the Habs were to win the Stanley Cup...
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