First NHL game at Bell Centre
The Canadiens hosted the Rangers on 3/16/1996 in the first NHL game at Bell Centre — Canadiens closed the Montreal Forum era with the Bell Centre inauguration.
1st
FIRST NHL GAME AT THIS ARENA
Track Every Bell Centre Game You've Attended
Bell Centre has been the Montreal Canadiens home in Ticket Timeline's data since March 16, 1996—printed Molson Centre at the start. Ticket Timeline helps you log every Canadiens game you attended there and keep Montreal Forum tickets on that earlier barn.
Moments Witnessed at Bell Centre
Verified milestones and rare moments that actually happened in this building.
Canadiens retire Moore's No. 12
The Canadiens raised Moore's No. 12 to the rafters in a pregame ceremony before facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4-5 home loss.
12
JERSEY RETIRED
Canadiens retire Cournoyer's No. 12
The Canadiens raised Cournoyer's No. 12 to the rafters in a pregame ceremony before facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4-5 home loss.
12
JERSEY RETIRED
Canadiens retire Lapointe's No. 5
The Canadiens raised Lapointe's No. 5 to the rafters in a pregame ceremony before facing the Minnesota Wild in a 4-1 home win.
5
JERSEY RETIRED
Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup
The Tampa Bay Lightning captured the 2020-21 Stanley Cup in the clinching game — Game 5 at Montreal — cementing franchise history on hockey's biggest stage.
3rd
STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
Why track Bell Centre attendance?
If your stub says Molson Centre, that is this same Montreal building under the name it opened with — not a different arena. Bell Centre is the later printed name. Canadiens nights belong on the Montreal Canadiens game tracker. The Montreal Forum was a different barn. Log those nights on the team page; this page holds the room those tickets share.
Whether your stub says Molson Centre or Bell Centre, Ticket Timeline helps you pin each Canadiens night you attended to the real matchup and roster—and keep Forum tickets on the building those stubs actually name.
- Log Canadiens home games you personally attended—not today's crowd count or a live scoreboard.
- Match tickets printed Molson Centre to this same Montreal building.
- Keep Montreal Forum stubs on that earlier barn—not mixed in as Bell Centre.
- Count this building toward your wider NHL arena progress across every barn you've visited.
- Import old stubs, spreadsheets, or Gmail confirmations instead of retyping every date.
Bell Centre at a glance
Key facts about the building—useful when dating a Molson Centre stub. All sourced from Ticket Timeline's verified Canadiens team data.
- Canadiens here since: March 16, 1996 in Ticket Timeline's data—printed Molson Centre at the start
- Current tenant: Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
- Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
- Earlier printed name (same building): Molson Centre refers to this building before the Bell Centre name
- Former home (different building): Montreal Forum—Canadiens through March 11, 1996 in Ticket Timeline's data
Teams and leagues at Bell Centre
Follow the teams and league context connected to this building.
Tenant teams
League hubs
What You Can Track at Bell Centre
Once a Canadiens game is in your timeline, Ticket Timeline surfaces the attendance story from your seats—not a league-wide feed.
Games You Attended Here
Log every Canadiens game you were physically at in this building—matchups, dates, and scores tied to nights you actually had a ticket.
Players You've Seen Here
Ticket Timeline matches each attended game to real rosters, so the athletes you watched in this building become part of your personal record.
Milestones Witnessed Here
Surface career highs, records, and rare moments that happened while you were in these seats—not league-wide highlights you only saw on TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track every Montreal Canadiens game I attended at Bell Centre?
Yes. Ticket Timeline helps you track Canadiens games you attended at this Montreal building—including nights whose tickets still say Molson Centre—along with the matchup, players, and moments tied to each game.
Can Ticket Timeline match tickets that still say Molson Centre?
Yes. Tickets printed Molson Centre refer to Bell Centre—the same Montreal building under the name it opened with. The venue context still maps here.
Is a Montreal Forum ticket the same as a Bell Centre ticket?
No. The Montreal Forum was a different building. The Canadiens' last Forum game in Ticket Timeline's data is March 11, 1996. Nights at this building start March 16, 1996.
Can I see which players I watched at Bell Centre?
Yes. Ticket Timeline matches each attended Canadiens game to real box scores and rosters, so the players on the ice that night become part of your personal record—not just the final score.
Does Bell Centre count toward my NHL arena progress?
Yes. Ticket Timeline helps you see arena progress across the Canadiens and NHL games you've attended, so nights here contribute to which barns you've been to.
Does Ticket Timeline sell tickets?
No. Ticket Timeline does not sell tickets. It is a stat tracker for games you've already attended, built to help you explore the players, moments, and milestones you witnessed at Bell Centre.
Start Tracking Your Bell Centre Nights
Download Ticket Timeline to turn every Canadiens game you attended at Bell Centre into a lasting personal record.