Canadien Hurt in Parade

Hundreds of thousands of Montrealers jammed downtown streets and surged forward to clasp the hands of their Stanley Cup heroes during a victory parade for the Canadiens that ended with an injury to one player and damage to the cars that carried the team.

Boisterous celebrants lined the route in hot, sunny weather, pressing forward as cars carrying the players slowly moved by.

Defenseman John Kordic needed three stitches to close a cut on his right elbow that he suffered as the crowd converged on his car, and three players had their jerseys ripped off, Canadien officials said. Each of the convertibles carrying the players through the streets was damaged, one suffering a smashed windshield, according to team officials.

It took the players 4 1/2 hours to travel the eight-kilometer route.

Many in the crowd were drinking beer as they waited, but police were out in force, in contrast to early Sunday when they were criticized for arriving late to quell a wild victory celebration in the streets. Police said then that a few dozen youths began looting stores in a four-block area and vandalizing cars.