In Canada, there is perhaps no poem more closely associated with Remembrance Day than In Flanders Fields. Its words have been read in schools, recited at ceremonies and remembered by generations of Canadians. But for Montreal Canadiens fans, two particular lines carry an additional meaning. They are displayed above the players' stalls in the Canadiens' dressing room and have become part of the identity of one of hockey's most storied franchises.
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
Most Canadiens fans recognize those words. Some have probably read them countless times without knowing their origin or the circumstances that inspired them. In fact, during a recent Canadiens season-opening ceremony, as Nick Suzuki carried the torch to centre ice, someone on social media was asking about the significance of the tradition. It occurred to me that perhaps this is a story worth revisiting, particularly today.
Because there is considerably more to those words than hockey.
The Man Behind the Words
John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario, in 1872. A physician, soldier and accomplished poet, he was also a veteran of the Boer War. When the First World War broke out in 1914, McCrae enlisted again, despite being 41 years old and already having established a successful medical career in Montreal.
He understood the dangers of going to war, but felt a responsibility to serve. In a letter to his mother, he expressed his feelings with words that still resonate: "I am really rather afraid, but more afraid to stay at home with my conscience."
During the war, McCrae befriended a young officer named Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. A native of Hull, Quebec, Helmer was just 22 years old. He had recently graduated from McGill University and was engaged to be married. Like so many young men who went overseas, he had his entire life ahead of him.
On May 2, 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium, Helmer was killed in battle. McCrae later described him as "a very nice boy" in a letter, recalling the circumstances surrounding his friend's death. Helmer's diary had ended with the words, "It has quieted a little and I shall try to get a good sleep." His fiancée's photograph had been pierced by shrapnel, and they buried it with him.
McCrae conducted the burial service himself, doing the best he could from memory. The following day, surrounded by the devastation of war and the graves of fallen soldiers, he wrote In Flanders Fields. The poem was first published on December 8, 1915, and would eventually become one of the most recognizable and enduring works in Canadian history.
McCrae would never see the end of the war. He died in France on January 28, 1918, from pneumonia and meningitis, leaving behind a poem that would continue speaking for generations after him.
A Canadiens Tradition
Founded in 1909, the Montreal Canadiens have built a history unlike any other franchise in professional hockey. From their early beginnings to their place among the NHL's Original Six, the Canadiens have accumulated 24 Stanley Cup championships, more than any other team. Their history is filled with legendary players, unforgettable moments and traditions that have survived generations of change.
But championships and banners tell only part of the story. Sometimes, the most meaningful traditions have very little to do with winning hockey games.
In 1952, Canadiens general manager Frank Selke Sr. arranged for McCrae's famous passage to be displayed above the players' dressing room stalls. Selke recognized something in those words that extended beyond the battlefield and found meaning within his hockey club. Dick Irvin Sr., who coached the Canadiens during that era, also understood their significance.
Think about how many players have dressed beneath that inscription over the decades. Generations of Canadiens have come and gone, from the legends who built the franchise's reputation to the young players now carrying its hopes. Some lifted the Stanley Cup, others came agonizingly close, and still others helped pass the responsibility to the next generation.
The inscription has remained.
And perhaps that is precisely why it belongs there. Hockey, like life, is built upon the efforts and sacrifices of those who came before us. We inherit traditions, responsibilities and opportunities that were not always ours to create. The torch is passed, and it is up to those who receive it to carry it forward.
But McCrae wasn't writing about hockey when he put those words on paper.
The Torch We Must Never Forget
So, the next time you hear those words during a Canadiens ceremony, see them above the dressing room stalls, or watch a player carry the torch to centre ice, take a moment to remember where they came from. Remember the young Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who never had the opportunity to grow old, raise a family or discover what the rest of his life might have held. Remember John McCrae, who witnessed the terrible cost of war and gave his grief a voice through a poem that would outlive them both.
And remember the countless men and women who never returned home, along with the families who waited for them. Their sacrifices gave future generations the opportunity to enjoy freedoms that are sometimes taken for granted.
Today, we can argue about a questionable penalty, complain about a blown lead, celebrate a Canadiens victory or shake our heads at another disappointing season. We can do all those ordinary things because others made extraordinary sacrifices.
The Canadiens have carried McCrae's torch for generations, and their fans have embraced those words as part of the club's identity. But the torch represents something far greater than a hockey tradition. It is a reminder that freedom comes with a responsibility to remember, to honour and to never take for granted what others gave their lives to protect.
To you from failing hands we throw. The torch; be yours to hold it high.
On this Remembrance Day, let us honour those who passed it to us.
Lest we forget.
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