Hey you neighbors to our North, why do they called the Montreal Canadians the Habs?

Because they’re one of the few Canadian teams that habn’t moved south?

(I have no idea. I just made that up.)

French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens (or Le Canadien), Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, La Sainte-Flanelle,[3] Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux (or Nos Glorieux), Les Habitants, Le CH and Le Grand Club. In English, the team’s main nickname is the Habs, an abbreviation of “Les Habitants”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Canadiens

Googlehu Akhbar.

Les Habitants, or French settlers.

Why would anyone want to move south from Canada? Oh, I know… Someone has an overpowering urge to give up universal health care, paid vacations and holidays, family leave, pensions, free post-secondary education, fair workplace conditions and decent pay, polite fellow residents, and breathtaking natural beauty.

Well, I guess somebody might want to move to a warmer climate. Yep…that’s the best I can do.

It’s short for Les Habitants.

Although there is a joke that the big CH in the middle of the rink stands for “Centre Hice”.

Already answered, but I would just point out since so many people think this: The H in the center of the C doesn’t stand for Habs or Habitants, but for Hockey.