Fans of Montreal Canadiens player Alex Kovalev used the power of the Internet to organize a rally outside of the Bell Centre Sunday afternoon, in the hopes of keeping him in Montreal.

Kovalev supporters were at the Bell Centre's Centennial Plaza from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Organizers used the social networking site Facebook to plan the event, and more than 18,000 people have signed so far signed two online petitions in support of "Kovy".

On the Facebook page for the event, there are dozens of comments from hockey fans of all stripes.

"Kovalev!!! He's a player of the people!" writes Dima Moz.

While the majority of the comments support Kovalev, others suggest it's time for his fans to let go.

"He doesn't want to come back. If he wanted to come back, he would have accepted Gainey's offer. So give it up...face it, he's gone," writes Felicia Comeau.