Montreal's Olympic Stadium MONTREAL – MAY 24: A general view of the exterior of Olympic Stadium prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium on May 24, 2004 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Charles Laberge/Getty Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays are returning to Montreal.

In what’s become an annual tradition, the Blue Jays will play at Olympic Stadium in Montreal next year. Toronto will square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a pair of Spring Training games on March 31 and April 1, 2017. The series marks the fourth consecutive season the Blue Jays have played Spring Training games in Montreal.

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro released a statement expressing excitement at once again visiting the former home of the Expos.

“We are looking forward to another successful visit to Montreal,”  Shapiro said in a news release. “The great enthusiasm and electric atmosphere at Olympic Stadium over the last three years has shown the true love and strong passion that the fans of Quebec have for Major League Baseball.”

Montreal might have lost the Expos in 2004 after relocating to Washington, but intense passion for baseball still exists in Quebec. Without a team to call their own, bringing in Canada’s sole team to play a pair of exhibition games at Olympic Stadium gives fans a taste of what they’ve been missing since the Expos folded. The games are always at capacity and incredibly exciting, given the non-existent stakes in Spring Training.

MLB needs to return to Montreal some day. Losing a storied franchise under difficult circumstances was a tough pill to swallow for Expos faithful. Having the Blue Jays step in each season provides some relief, but a team belongs in Montreal. Until that happens, Toronto’s Spring Training games will have to suffice.

[Sportsnet]

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