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A Montreal Canadiens game at the Bell Centre is more than just hockey. What happens on the ice is the most important thing, but it’s also part of a bigger product being sold to fans.

At the end of last season, Canadiens president Geoff Molson promised an improved fan experience, and that’s what the franchise has been working on.

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In early October, the Habs unveiled the M2 Marché-Montréal, a high-end food court and bar in the basement of the Bell Centre.

Now, a live band in the stands will perform during stoppages in play and period intermissions when the Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

Popular Montreal singer Gregory Charles will provide the live music accompanied by the Habs Band — a four-piece ensemble consisting of a guitarist, bassist and drummer, along with veteran soul vocalist Kim Richardson.

In Nashville, a band has been entertaining fans between periods at Predators games for more than a decade. But the Habs Band experiment takes that idea one step further with Charles and his band rocking out every time the referee blows the whistle.