Montreal businesses feel effect of Canadiens playoff run on customer traffic

MONTREAL — On NHL playoff nights in Montreal, the wood-fired oven at St-Viateur Bagel keeps burning — even if the lineups at the counter get a little shorter.

At the flagship location of the Mile End bakery, employees say they have noticed a familiar pattern during Montreal Canadiens playoff games: quieter streets and fewer customers walking through the door.

“Our store is calmer on evenings when the Canadiens are playing,” said Nicolò Piazza, general manager of St-Viateur Bagel. “But we’re very proud of our team.”

As the Canadiens’ playoff run grips Montreal, businesses across the city say game nights are reshaping evening routines and customer traffic.

Bars and restaurants near the Bell Centre — the Canadiens’ downtown home arena — fill with fans dressed in blue, white and red, while elsewhere in the city, some businesses report slower evenings during games, particularly those tied to leisure activities, shopping or culture. Others, especially grocery stores, say Canadiens playoff nights bring a surge of customers stocking up on food before puck drop.

At Metro, one of Quebec’s largest grocery chains, spokesperson Ines El Khlifi said stores across the Greater Montreal area become noticeably busier shortly before games begin.

“We adjust staff organization accordingly to improve the flow in stores and the customer experience,” she said.

She added that playoff games also influence what customers buy.

“We also see that these occasions encourage customers to purchase more festive products such as beer, pizza or chicken wings, purchases they would not necessarily make under normal circumstances, especially on weekday evenings.”

At Rona, communications representatives said it is difficult to isolate the playoffs’ impact because spring is already the busiest season for the industry.

Employees at other home improvement and retail stores said they have noticed quieter evenings during games.

At a Home Depot store, employee Aaron Haran said Canadiens playoff games noticeably slow customer traffic and allow workers to focus on tasks that are harder to complete during busier periods.

“We know it, and we prepare for it by doing tasks we normally can’t do when there are a lot of customers,” he said in French. “When there are fewer people, we can get certain things done. So yes, the games really affect the people who come here to shop.”

At a Canadian Tire store, worker François Prud’homme said he has also noticed fewer customers during games since the start of the playoffs.

But he said the Canadiens’ playoff run boosted customer demand for team merchandise earlier in the spring, especially car flags.

Some leisure and cultural businesses also say attendance dips during games.

At Idolem, a yoga studio chain with locations across Montreal, employee Clara, who did not give her last name, said classes have been less full during playoff games since the start of the post-season.

“But we do not adapt our schedules according to the games,” she said. “There are still many clients coming to practise.”

At the McCord Stewart Museum, a downtown Montreal museum dedicated to Canadian history and culture that stays open until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, spokesperson Pascale Grignon said attendance on Wednesday evenings dropped between 20 and 25 per cent during recent playoff games.

“The sample size remains small,” she said, pointing to only two Wednesday playoff games so far.

Céline Hayes, an employee at Scotiabank Theatre Montreal downtown, also said she noticed fewer moviegoers during Canadiens playoff games.

Meanwhile, the group behind independent theatres Cinéma Beaubien, Cinéma du Parc and Cinéma du Musée said quieter evenings have sometimes coincided with Canadiens games, though factors such as weather and film programming also influence turnout.

The Canadiens are playing against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2026.

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press