Canadiens mascot, explained: The story of Youppi and how creature became face of Montreal club

What happens when a designer for the Muppets meets a French-Canadien baseball team In this case, a chaotic monster named "Youppi."

Youppi began as the mascot for the Montreal Expos, a defunct baseball team that relocated and became the Washington Nationals after the 2004 season. Youppi held a significant connection to Montreal, however. The monster was named after a French word and the team was rebranding to a distinctly American identity. 

But Youppi would not be lost. In the decades since, he's become an iconic part of Montreal Canadiens games, entertaining fans of all ages.

Here's how this fuzzy friend came to the French-Canadiens. 

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What is the Canadiens mascot?

The Canadiens mascot is a monster named Youppi, who has served as their mascot since 2005. The Canadiens had no mascot prior to Youppi, going without a sideline character for almost 100 years beforehand. 

Since he joined the crew, Youppi has become an icon in a second sport, going from the baseball world to the hockey world. He's been interacting with Canadiens fans throughout their postseason run and is sure to continue his shenanigans. 

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What is Youppi?

Youppi is an orange monster who is not necessarily designed to be a specific animal or creature. 

The creation of Youppi began with Bonnie Erickson, who designed Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf, and other muppets for Jim Henson. Erickson chose to make him orange as a nod to Rusty Staub, an Expos player nicknamed "le Grand Orange." 

He entered the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2020 and has served as the mascot for the Montreal Expos and Canadiens. 

Youppi history as Expos mascot

The original creation of Youppi was designed specifically for the Montreal Expos baseball team. He became a quintessential part of the team and was famous for numerous silly antics. 

In his time with the Expos, Youppi became the first mascot ejected from a game for jumping, sliding and falling on the Dodgers dugout during a 1-0 game that lasted 22 innings. Tommy Lasorda was so angry that he demanded the umpire eject Youppi and the ump obliged. 

To this day, Youppi has remained an icon in the world of baseball. The Baseball Hall of Fame has Youppi featured as a display, alongside the Phillie Phanatic and the Famous Chicken.