Another « googlage » that led someone to OffQc:
why are the canadiens referred to in the singular in french
The Canadiens in question here are the Montréal NHL hockey team.
You’ll very often find the team referred to as le Canadien, as a nickname for the team.
Two headlines:
Le Canadien bat les Flyers 4-1 (Radio-Canada)
The Canadiens beat the Flyers 4-1
Le Canadien revient de l’arrière pour vaincre le Lightning (Le Devoir)
The Canadiens make a comeback and beat the Lightning
The plural is used too:
Les Canadiens ont inscrit deux buts [...]. (TVA Sports)
The Canadiens scored two goals [...].
But if you want to sound “in the know,” you can incorporate the singular into your French as well!
