Why are French Canadians called Habs?
The "H" stands for "hockey", not "Habitants," a popular misconception. According to NHL.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard, owner of the Madison Square Garden, in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants".
The term "Habs" is an abbreviation of "Les Habitants." This term dates back to the 17th century, and refers to the settlers of New France, now known as Quebec. While the Canadiens franchise is very old, it is significantly younger than the term that now refers to it.
The Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club is owned by an American, the business language is ENGLISH but more importantly, language has NOTHING to do with the performance of a player or a coach.
The Montreal Canadiens (“Go Habs Go!”) The most common explanation is that in 1924, Tex Rickard, the owner of the New York Rangers, mistakenly told a reporter that the big H in the Canadiens' logo stood for Habs. In fact, it's short for “Hockey”, and the nickname is at least a decade older than Rickard's error.
New France
The terms "Canada" and "New France" were also used interchangeably. French explorations continued west "unto the Countreys of Canada, Hochelaga, and Saguenay" before any permanent settlements were established.