Super Bowl champion Laurent Duvernay-Tardif drops puck at Canadiens game

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the 16th Canadian-born player to play in the Super Bowl on his way to become a champion with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.

The 28-year-old native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. — a town located less than an hour east of Montreal — has been a fan of the Canadiens since childhood.

Prior to their matchup against the Arizona Coyotes at the Bell Centre on Monday, Duvernay-Tardif was Montreal’s special guest and dropped the puck. Wearing No. 76, the same number he wears in the NFL, Duvernay-Tardif took some time to appreciate the unique experience.

Once he dropped the puck between Brendan Gallagher of the Canadiens and Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Coyotes, Duvernay-Tardif made sure to give his squad a boost before the game got underway.

After securing the victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Duvernay-Tardif wasn’t alone as he took in the moment with his team on the field in Miami. Actor Paul Rudd and his son — sporting ‘Duvernay-Tardif MD’ jerseys — also joined in on the celebration.

While in the early stages of his career with the Chiefs after being drafted by the organization in 2014, the offensive lineman was able to complete his Doctor of Medicine from Montreal’s McGill University during his off-seasons. He was able to finish his degree in 2018.

Duvernay-Tardif’s educational status, which made him the first medical doctor to play in a Super Bowl, inspired the custom name bars that the Rudds were sporting on their jerseys.

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