Halak carries ceremonial torch before Game 4 for Canadiens

Former goaltender Jaroslav Halak, whose unlikely playoff heroics earned him a lasting place in Montreal Canadiens lore, carried the ceremonial torch into the Bell Centre to a raucous ovation before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final on Wednesday. The 41-year-old Slovakian, who led the eighth-seeded Canadiens on a memorable run to the third round in 2010, walked into the lower bowl holding a stop sign bearing the name "DOBES," a direct nod to current Montreal netminder Jakub Dobes.

The gesture served as a symbolic passing of the torch, linking Halak's past playoff success to Dobes's current performance. Halak raised the torch as flames shot up, joining a list of Canadiens alumni who have performed the duty this postseason, including Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard, Chris Nilan, Kirk Muller, Guy Carbonneau, Larry Robinson and Claude Lemieux. Officials noted Halak was the first torchbearer of this playoff run who did not win a Stanley Cup with the franchise.

Halak's 2010 performance, when Montreal defeated the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, became so iconic that the phrase "getting Halak'd" entered the local lexicon. The current playoff journey of Dobes, who turned...