Montreal Transit Features Canadiens Players in Metro Announcements

Montreal's public transit system has launched a playful initiative to celebrate the city's beloved hockey team, enlisting four Montreal Canadiens players to voice announcements for two key metro stations near the team's arena.

The Société de transport de Montréal, or STM, began playing the recordings this week as the Canadiens enter the Stanley Cup playoffs. Riders approaching the Bonaventure and Lucien-L'Allier stations in downtown Montreal now hear the voices of defenseman Lane Hutson, forward Juraj Slafkovsky, goaltender Jakub Dobes, and forward Alexandre Texier delivering the familiar French announcements. "This is Lane Hutson, next station Lucien-L'Allier," Hutson says in one clip, adding a touch of star power to the daily commute.

The effort stems from a desire to infuse playoff excitement into the metro system, which sees a surge in ridership around the Bell Centre during Canadiens home games. STM spokesperson Laurence Houde-Roy described it as a way to capture the team's energy. "It's really a way to get in on the playoffs hype," she said, noting that the announcements will continue for the duration of the team's postseason run, or "until they win the Stanley Cup."