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Élise Béliveau’s love affair with the Canadiens began when her late husband, Jean, signed his first contract with the club in October 1953.

The bond with this year’s team deepened back in December when the players came to pay their respects to Le Gros Bill, who lay in state on the floor of the Bell Centre, then arrived en masse at his funeral.

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And now it’s Friday night, the Canadiens having just defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in overtime to seize a 2-0 Eastern Conference quarter-final series lead, and defenceman P.K. Subban is speaking to the entire, crazed arena on the public-address system — thanking Élise for her support.

“He’s so nice. He’s so lovely,” she said not long afterward in the team’s alumni lounge, wearing her autographed No. 76 Subban jersey.

And then she laughed.

“I could be P.K.’s grandmother, but it doesn’t matter. I could be the grandmother of all of them. I feel that they’re all my boys, the whole team. Isn’t that crazy? I’ve never had this feeling inside me. Ever.”