Habs fans who were near the Bell Centre on Sunday afternoon might have noticed that the fences surrounding the arena\u2019s outdoor playoff watch party area on Canadiens-de-Montr\u00e9al Ave. had been removed.<\/p>\n
Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant said the fences were removed \u201cfor safety reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
High fences of the type that were in place around the area would be \u201cpotentially dangerous if an evacuation were necessary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would have made it harder to evacuate\u201d if a need arose to empty the arena, with its 21,000-seat capacity.<\/p>\n
The decision to take down the fences was made as a result of a request from police \u201cand discussion with people from the Bell Centre,\u201d Brabant said.<\/p>\n
He said \u201canother sort of barrier,\u201d presumably a lower one, would probably be installed in place of the higher fences; police were in discussion about the issue with the Montreal Canadiens, he said.<\/p>\n
Charles Saindon-Courtois, a spokesperson for the Habs, said on Sunday that \u201cthe team won\u2019t be commenting publicly on the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Habs will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday evening.\u00a0They defeated the Lightning 3-2 in overtime in Game 3<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n A strong police presence when the Habs are playing at the Bell Centre is a familiar sight, but it is heightened during playoff games, Brabant said. Police vehicles block access to the streets around the building, for instance, and horses from the force\u2019s cavalry are often deployed for crowd control and public order.<\/p>\n Brabant also said that after Sunday night\u2019s game, the location of the watch parties will probably be moved \u2014 likely to Place du Canada, an urban park slightly northeast of the current location. Place du Canada is south of Ren\u00e9-L\u00e9vesque Blvd. and adjacent to Dorchester Square.<\/p>\n \u201cLogistically it will be better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Entry to the outdoor watch parties requires a free ticket secured ahead of time through Ticketmaster.<\/p>\n There was dismay among fans<\/a> as tickets were snapped up by resellers and listed for sale online.<\/p>\n The Canadiens did not require tickets for similar events during last year\u2019s playoffs, and some rumours were circulating that the Habs might forgo the ticket system for Sunday\u2019s watch party.<\/p>\n It seems like they’ve removed the fences around the watch party, I was told there was a possibility that the Habs are gonna go without a ticket system for Game 4 for outside\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/dMYhT3d9Yh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 HFTV (@HFTVSports) April 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n \t\t