Philippe Girard brings Canadiens history and jazz to life in new graphic novel

Quebec cartoonist Philippe Girard has released Les fantômes du Forum, a 168-page graphic novel that links Montreal Canadiens lore with the world of jazz. Published by La Pastèque, the book transports readers to an earlier era in Montreal, when the old Forum and a young Maurice Richard were at the centre of the city’s sporting life and big-band sounds spilled out of nightclubs.

A fictional trainer between the Forum bench and jazz clubs

The story revolves around Émile Laplante, a fictional trainer at the Montreal Forum tasked with looking after Maurice Richard as he recovers from an ankle injury. From his spot behind the bench, Laplante ends up travelling with the team and following the Canadiens on the road. Between games in cities such as New York and Boston, he slips into jazz clubs, where late-night performances echo the intensity and improvisation he sees on the ice.

Throughout the book, Girard brings together well-known figures from Canadiens history, including Dollard St-Laurent and Bernard Geoffrion, with jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and Miles Davis. His protagonist moves back and forth between arena and stage, underlining how two seemingly different environments can share a similar sense of rhythm, showmanship and community.

Finding common ground between hockey fans and music lovers

The concept of blending Canadiens history with jazz began when publisher La Pastèque approached Girard with the idea. The former Quebec Nordiques fan found his narrative spark while watching Serge Fiori recount on television how his hockey-loving father once crossed paths with Maurice Richard. That story, along with the many references to hockey by Quebec musicians such as Robert Charlebois and Dany Placard, convinced him that hockey and music were more closely linked than they might appear.

In Les fantômes du Forum, Girard evokes a working-class Montreal where the same people might stop for a drink and a jazz set after a factory shift, then head to the Forum for a Canadiens game. He points to a time when both hockey and live music were within reach for ordinary fans, forming part of a shared popular culture rather than premium entertainment reserved for a few.

A nostalgic lens on how sports and music have changed

Girard’s artwork adopts a deliberately vintage look, reinforcing the nostalgic atmosphere without claiming that the past was better. Instead, the book invites readers to reflect on how much has changed, particularly when it comes to the cost of attending games and concerts. The author contrasts that earlier era with today’s prices, where a major hockey game or arena show can easily run into several hundred dollars.

By playing with images of hockey stars and music stars, Girard raises broader questions about what mass entertainment has become. Les fantômes du Forum reads as both a love letter to the Montreal Canadiens and to jazz, and a meditation on how sports and popular music have evolved from everyday pastimes into expensive spectacles.