History of the Montreal Canadiens - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

club, formally , was founded on December 4, 1909. It is the oldest professional hockey franchise in the world, and one of the four founding teams of the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

(NHL). The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

24 times: once while part of the National Hockey Association

National Hockey Association

The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...

(NHA), and 23 times as members of the NHL. With 25 NHL titles overall, they are the most successful team in league history. Created with the aim of appealing to Montreal's francophone

Francophone

The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....

population, the Canadiens played their first game on January 5, 1910, and captured their first Stanley Cup in 1916. They returned to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1919, but their series against the Seattle Metropolitans

Seattle Metropolitans

The Seattle Metropolitans were a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington which played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924. They won the Stanley Cup in 1917, becoming the first American team to do so...

was canceled without a winner due to the Spanish flu

Spanish flu

The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...

pandemic that killed defenceman Joe Hall

Joe Hall

Joseph Henry Hall , nicknamed Bad Joe Hall, was a professional ice hockey defenceman who played professionally from 1904 until 1919 when he died as a result of the influenza epidemic...

.

The Canadiens' home rink, the Montreal Arena

Montreal Arena

The Montreal Arena, also known as Westmount Arena, was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the corner of St. Catherine Street and Wood Avenue. It was likely one of the first arenas designed expressly for hockey, opening in 1898...

, was destroyed by fire in January 1918. The team moved into the Jubilee Arena

Jubilee Arena

The Jubilee Arena also known as Jubilee Rink was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was located at the corner of St. Catherine Street East and Moreau Street...

, which subsequently burned down in 1919. After spending seven seasons in the Mount Royal Arena

Mount Royal Arena

The Mount Royal Arena was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the corner of Mount Royal and St. Urbain Street. It was home of the National Hockey League Montreal Canadiens from 1920 to 1926, before moving to the then two year old Montreal Forum. It had a capacity of 6,000...

, the Canadiens moved into the Montreal Forum

Montreal Forum

The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...

in 1926, sharing it with the rival Montreal Maroons

Montreal Maroons

The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...

until 1938. After 72 years in the Forum, they moved to the Bell Centre

Bell Centre

The Bell Centre , formerly known as the Molson Centre , is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996 after nearly three years under construction...

in 1996. The club struggled during the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

, nearly relocating to Cleveland

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

, Ohio, in 1935 and contemplated suspending operations in 1939. Their fortunes rebounded following World War II as they reached the Stanley Cup finals each year from 1951 to 1960, winning six championships, including a record five consecutive titles from 1956 to 1960.

Maurice "Rocket" Richard

Maurice Richard

Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...

emerged as the team's star in the 1940s, and during the 1944–45 season became the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a single season. Richard sparked the Richard Riot

Richard Riot

The Richard Riot was a riot on March 17, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The riot was named after Maurice Richard, the star ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League...

in March 1955 when he was suspended for attacking a linesman. The incident highlighted growing tensions between French Quebec and English Canada, and is regarded as one of the first manifestations of Quebec's Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...

. In 1959, Jacques Plante

Jacques Plante

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...

revolutionized the game when he became the first goaltender

Goaltender

In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

to consistently wear a mask during play. Under general manager Sam Pollock

Sam Pollock

Samuel Patterson Smyth "Sam" Pollock, OC, CQ was a general manager in the National Hockey League.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Sam was a keen evaluator of talent. In 1950, with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and in 1958, with the Ottawa Junior Canadiens, he won the Memorial Cup...

, the Canadiens won nine championships between 1964 and 1978. The 1976–77 team, often regarded as the greatest in NHL history, won 60 games while losing only 8, a record for fewest losses in an 80-game season. With the entry of the World Hockey Association

World Hockey Association

The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...

's Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

to the NHL in 1979, a rivalry grew between the Canadiens and the Nordiques, peaking in 1984 when the Canadiens eliminated the Nordiques in six games, but not before the Good Friday Massacre

Good Friday Massacre

The Good Friday Massacre, ,was a second-round playoff match-up during the 1984 NHL Playoffs. The game occurred on Good Friday, April 20, 1984 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between the Quebec Nordiques and the Montreal Canadiens. After a number of fights, a bench-clearing brawl broke out at the end...

made headlines.

Led by goaltender Patrick Roy

Patrick Roy

Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...

, the Canadiens won their 23rd Stanley Cup in 1986 and their 24th in 1993. Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...

as the playoffs' most valuable player both times. The 1993 team set an NHL record with 10 consecutive overtime victories in one playoff year and is the most recent Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. In 2003, Montreal participated in the first outdoor game in NHL history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the Heritage Classic.

The Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...

has inducted over 50 former Canadiens players, as well as ten executives. The team has retired 15 numbers, representing 17 players, and has honoured ten off-ice personnel in its Builder's Row.

Founding

In November 1909, industrialist Ambrose O'Brien of Renfrew

Renfrew, Ontario

Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...

, Ontario, was in Montreal to purchase supplies for a railway contract. At the request of the Renfrew Creamery Kings

Renfrew Creamery Kings

The Renfrew Hockey Club, also known as the Creamery Kings and the "Renfrew Millionaires" was a founding franchise in 1909 of the National Hockey Association, the precursor to the National Hockey League...

hockey team, he attended the Eastern Canada Hockey Association

Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association

The Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association was a men's amateur, later professional ice hockey league in Canada that played four seasons. It was founded on December 11, 1905 with six clubs: four from the Canadian Amateur Hockey League and two from the Federal Amateur Hockey League, to bring...

(ECHA) meetings, held at the Windsor Hotel

Windsor Hotel

Windsor Hotel may refer to:in Australia*Hotel Windsor , Australiain Canada*Windsor Hotel , Canada*Windsor Arms Hotel, Toronto, Canadain Japan*The Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa, Hokkaidō, Japanin the United States...

, to represent Renfrew in its application to join the league. At the meeting, the ECHA team owners rejected Renfrew's application. Later that day the ECHA's owners chose to disband their league and form the Canadian Hockey Association

Canadian Hockey Association (1909-1910)

The Canadian Hockey Association was an early men's professional ice hockey league. It was founded in 1909 as the result of a dispute within the Eastern Canada Hockey Association, but was the loser of the dispute. The league survived only a few weeks of play in January 1910 before teams left the...

(CHA) in a bid to exclude the Montreal Wanderers

Montreal Wanderers

The Montreal Wanderers were a Canadian amateur, and later becoming a professional men's ice hockey team. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League , the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association , the National Hockey Association and briefly the National Hockey League . The Wanderers are...

, who had upset the other owners when they moved into a smaller arena that would reduce the visiting team's share of gate receipts

Gate receipts

Gate receipts is the sum of money taken at a sporting venue for the sale of tickets.Traditionally, gate receipts were largely or entirely taken in cash. Today, many sporting venues will operate a season ticket scheme, which will mean they allocate a proportion of season ticket moneys when...

. In the lobby of the hotel, O'Brien met Jimmy Gardner, manager of the Wanderers, and discussed forming a new league which would include Renfrew, the Wanderers, and two teams that O'Brien owned in the Ontario mining towns of Cobalt

Cobalt, Ontario

Cobalt is a town in the district of Timiskaming, province of Ontario, Canada, with a population of 1,223 In 2001 Cobalt was named "Ontario's Most Historic Town" by a panel of judges on the TV Ontario program Studio 2, and in 2002 the area was designated a National Historic Site.-History:Silver was...

and Haileybury. Gardner suggested that O'Brien start a team of francophone

Francophone

players based in Montreal, forming a rivalry with the Wanderers. As a result, the National Hockey Association

National Hockey Association

The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...

(NHA) was founded on December 2, 1909, and Les Canadiens were created two days later, initially financed by O'Brien with the intent of transferring ownership to francophone sportsmen in Montreal as soon as possible.

At the time, francophone teams were not considered to be good enough to play with the top anglophone

English Canadian

An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...

teams: the Montreal Gazette warned potential fans of the new team not to get too excited, as "French-Canadian players of class are not numerous". The Canadiens stocked their team with francophone stars including Newsy Lalonde

Newsy Lalonde

Édouard Cyrille "Newsy" Lalonde was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League and a professional lacrosse player, regarded as one of hockey's and lacrosse's greatest players of the first half of the 20th century and one of sport's most colourful characters...

, Georges Poulin

Georges Poulin

Georges Poulin was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played his entire career with the Montreal Canadiens, winning the Stanley Cup in 1916.-External links:*...

and Didier Pitre

Didier Pitre

Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was nicked named "Cannonball". One of the first players to join the Montreal Canadiens, Pitre's French-Canadian heritage helped give his line-mates the nickname the Flying Frenchmen, brought upon by his...

. Before being allowed to play, Pitre had to resolve a lawsuit with the Montreal Nationals, to whom he was already under contract.

1910–17: National Hockey Association

The Canadiens played their first game on January 5, 1910, coached by Jack Laviolette

Jack Laviolette

Jean-Baptiste "Jack" Laviolette was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played nine seasons for the Montreal Canadiens hockey club and was their first Captain, Coach, and General Manager....

. Before a sellout crowd of 3,000, they defeated Cobalt 7–6 in overtime. The victory was erased from the history books shortly after, as the CHA collapsed after only two weeks of play, and the NHA chose to restart the season after absorbing the CHA's Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators (original)

The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...

and the Montreal Shamrocks

Montreal Shamrocks

The Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886, merging with the Montreal Crystals club in 1896. They won the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship in 1899 and 1900...

. The Canadiens' first game of the new season was played January 19, a 9–4 loss to the Renfrew Creamery Kings

Renfrew Creamery Kings

. They lost three more games before finally recording their first victory of the new season on February 7, when they defeated the Haileybury Hockey Club

Haileybury Hockey Club

The Haileybury Hockey Club of Haileybury, Ontario, was a professional ice hockey club established in the early 1900s, which is most notable as a member of the National Hockey Association which it played in during the 1910 season...

by a score of 9–7. They won only two of their 12 games that season, and finished last in the eight-team league.

George Kennedy

George Kennedy (sports promoter)

George Washington Kendall , known professionally as George Kennedy, was a Canadian sports promoter best known as the owner of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team from 1910 to 1921. Kennedy was a wrestler himself and after the end of his wrestling career turned to wrestling promotion...

, owner of the Club Athlétique Canadien (CAC), claimed rights to the "Canadiens" team name following the season. He settled the dispute by buying the team from O'Brien for $7,500. That same year, the team adopted its now-famous red sweater with a blue stripe across the front. In the middle of the stripe was an elongated red C encompassing a red A to represent the CAC.

The Canadiens reached the playoffs for the first time in 1913–14

1913–14 NHA season

The 1913–14 NHA season was the fifth season of the National Hockey Association . At the end of the regular season, a tie for first place necessitated a playoff to determine the championship. The Toronto Hockey Club defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6–2 in a two-game, total-goals playoff...

when they tied the Toronto Blueshirts

Toronto Blueshirts

The Toronto Hockey Club, known as the Torontos and the Toronto Blue Shirts were a professional National Hockey Association team that played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...

for the league lead with 26 points. The two teams played a two-game series for the championship, with the winner based on total goals. Georges Vezina

Georges Vézina

Joseph-Georges-Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association and nine in the National Hockey League , all with the Montreal Canadiens...

shut out the Blueshirts 2–0 in the first game, but the Canadiens were defeated 6–0 in the second and lost the series. Two years later, in 1915–16, the Canadiens won the NHA championship, the O'Brien Cup, with a 16–7–1 record, three wins better than the second place Senators. The title earned the Canadiens their first berth in the Stanley Cup Finals

Stanley Cup Finals

The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...

, where they faced the Portland Rosebuds

Portland Rosebuds

Portland Rosebuds is the name of at least three professional teams based in Portland, Oregon during the first half of the 20th century. Two were professional men's ice hockey teams playing their home games at the Portland Ice Arena, one from 1914 to 1918 and another in 1925-6...

of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association

Pacific Coast Hockey Association

The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...

(PCHA). With the best-of-five series tied at two wins apiece, the deciding game was held at Westmount Arena in Montreal on March 30, 1916. Montreal's Goldie Prodgers

George Prodgers

Samuel George "Goldie" Prodger of London, Ontario was a professional ice hockey player. He was a member of the 1912 Stanley Cup champion Quebec Bulldogs and the 1916 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. He also played professionally for the Hamilton Tigers, Montreal Wanderers, Toronto St...

scored the winning goal with less than four minutes to play, giving the Canadiens their first Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

championship.

In 1916, the CAC faced financial difficulty after a January fire destroyed its gymnasium and the Montreal Canadians lacrosse team failed. Kennedy separated the hockey club from the CAC and incorporated it in March 1916 as "Le club de Hockey Canadien". The Canadiens changed their logo to a red "C" interlocked with a white "H". The H in the logo stands for "hockey," though the long standing misconception that it stands for "Habitants

Habitants

Habitants is the name used to refer to both the French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence Gulf and River in what is the present-day Province of Quebec in Canada...

" led to the team being nicknamed "the Habs".

The NHA met its demise in the winter of 1917 following several long-running disputes between Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone and the league's other four teams over who owned the rights to various players. Kennedy especially disliked Livingstone, and the two nearly came to blows numerous times during league meetings. However, the Canadiens, Wanderers, Senators and Quebec Bulldogs

Quebec Bulldogs

The Quebec Bulldogs were a men's senior-level ice hockey team officially known as the Quebec Hockey Club, later as the Quebec Athletic Club. Their recorded play goes back as far as the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada in 1889, although the Quebec Hockey Club is known to have played since 1880...

discovered that while they were united in their distaste for Livingstone, the league constitution didn't allow them to simply vote him out. To solve this problem, on November 26 they created a new league, the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

(NHL), and didn't invite Livingstone to join them. They nominally remained members of the NHA and had enough votes to suspend the league's operations, effectively leaving Livingstone in a one-team league. Kennedy was the dominant force in the new league; he not only owned the Canadiens but had fronted Tommy Gorman

Tommy Gorman

Thomas Patrick "T. P." Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League , a winner of seven Stanley Cups as a general manager with four teams, and an Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse player for Canada....

the money he'd used to buy the Senators. However, the four teams realized it would be unthinkable not to have a team from Toronto in their league. They also needed a fourth team to balance the schedule after financial difficulties forced the Bulldogs to suspend operations (as it turned out, they wouldn't take the ice until 1919). With this in mind, they granted a "temporary" franchise to the Toronto Arena Company, which eventually evolved into the Canadiens' bitter rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

1917–32: early National Hockey League

Joe Malone recorded five goals for the Canadiens in their NHL debut, a 7–4 victory over the Senators, en route to a league leading 44 goal season. The fledgling league nearly collapsed on January 2, 1918, after a fire destroyed the Montreal Arena

Montreal Arena

, home to both the Wanderers and the Canadiens. The Canadiens relocated to the 3,000-seat Jubilee Arena

Jubilee Arena

The Jubilee Arena also known as Jubilee Rink was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was located at the corner of St. Catherine Street East and Moreau Street...

, but the Wanderers ceased operations, reducing the NHL to three teams. Playing a revamped split season

Split season

A Split season is a schedule format implemented in a variety of sports leagues. It is used in several contemporary Minor League baseball leagues and was used in the earliest years of the National League. It is also frequently used in high school basketball leagues.In this case, the league will...

schedule, Montreal won the first half title, but lost the league championship to second half winning Toronto by a score of 10–7 in a two-game, total goals series.

The Canadiens won the NHL championship against the Senators in 1918–19, and traveled west to meet the PCHA champion Seattle Metropolitans

Seattle Metropolitans

for the Stanley Cup. The series is best remembered for its cancellation due to the Spanish flu

Spanish flu

pandemic. Several players from both teams became ill, prompting health officials in Seattle to cancel the sixth, and deciding, game. With his entire team either in the hospital or confined to bed, Kennedy attempted to borrow players from the PCHA's Victoria Aristocrats

Victoria Cougars

The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926...

, only to be turned down by PCHA president Frank Patrick. With no way to field a team, Kennedy announced he was forfeiting the game—and the Cup—to the Metropolitans. However, the Metropolitans turned it down; coach Pete Muldoon

Pete Muldoon

Pete Muldoon , born Linton Muldoon Treacy, was a Canadian ice hockey pioneer in the western United States, particularly known for bringing a Stanley Cup championship to Seattle, Washington...

felt that with the Canadiens decimated by the flu, it wouldn't be sportsmanlike to claim the title. Star defenceman Joe Hall

Joe Hall

Joseph Henry Hall , nicknamed Bad Joe Hall, was a professional ice hockey defenceman who played professionally from 1904 until 1919 when he died as a result of the influenza epidemic...

never recovered, and died on April 5, 1919.

During the following summer, the Jubilee Rink burned down, forcing the Canadiens to build Mount Royal Arena

Mount Royal Arena

as a replacement. The team also lost their star player Malone, who had been on loan from the dormant Bulldogs as Quebec rejoined the league in 1919–20. Kennedy died in 1921; he had never recovered from the 1919 flu. His widow sold the team to Leo Dandurand

Leo Dandurand

Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand , was a sportsman and businessman. He was the owner and coach of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team in the National Hockey League...

, former player Joseph Cattarinich

Joseph Cattarinich

Joseph "Joe" Cattarinich , was a professional hockey player, and co-owner of horse racing tracks in Canada and the United States as well as a co-owner of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League....

and Louis A. Letourneau.

Regarded as one of the NHL's first superstars, Howie Morenz

Howie Morenz

Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...

made his debut in 1923–24 alongside Aurel Joliat

Aurel Joliat

Aurèle Émile "Mighty Atom, Little Giant" Joliat was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens....

. The club placed second in the league to Ottawa, but defeated the Senators in the playoffs to win the league championship and reach the Stanley Cup final. Montreal hosted the 1924 Stanley Cup Finals against the Calgary Tigers

Calgary Tigers

The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the...

of the Western Canada Hockey League

Western Canada Hockey League

The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...

(WCHL). The Canadiens won the best-of-three series in two games, and captured their second Stanley Cup. Morenz was the offensive star of the series, scoring a hat trick

Hat Trick

Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...

in game one and a goal in game two.

The Montreal Forum

Montreal Forum

, which in later decades became synonymous with the Canadiens, was opened in 1924 to house the expansion Montreal Maroons

Montreal Maroons

The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...

. The Canadiens were invited to inaugurate the arena as the natural ice surface at the Mount Royal Arena was not ready to host NHL games. The team played the first game in Forum history on November 29, 1924, a 7–1 victory over the Toronto St. Patricks

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. The Canadiens took residence at the Forum in 1926, sharing it with the Maroons until the latter ceased operations in 1938.

For the 1924–25 season, the Canadiens celebrated their world champion status with a special jersey design. The team moved their CH logo to their sleeves and played with a large world globe logo crest on their jersey fronts. Montreal finished third in the league standings and defeated Toronto in the semi-final. The players on the first place Hamilton Tigers refused to participate in a playoff series unless they were paid an additional $200 each. When they failed to relent on their demands, NHL president Frank Calder

Frank Calder

-External links:*...

suspended the entire team, and declared the Canadiens to be the league champions. The Habs thus traveled to the Pacific Coast to play the WCHL's Victoria Cougars

Victoria Cougars

The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926...

in the 1925 Stanley Cup Final. The Cougars won the best-of-five series 3–1; it was the last time a non-NHL team won the Stanley Cup.

Georges Vezina collapsed during the first game of the 1925–26 season

1925–26 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1925–26 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 17th season and ninth as a member of the National Hockey League . The Canadiens lost their star goalie Georges Vezina to tuberculosis and struggled as a team, not making the playoffs...

. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

and never played again, succumbing to the illness in March 1926. In his honour, the team donated a new award to the league, the Vezina Trophy

Vezina Trophy

The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...

, to be given to the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals over the course of the season. The first recipient was his replacement, George Hainsworth

George Hainsworth

George Hainsworth was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Crescents in the Western Canada Hockey League....

. Vezina was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame upon its creation in 1945.

During the 1927–28 season, Morenz became the first player in NHL history to score 50 points in a single season. Morenz was the first NHL player to score a second Stanley Cup winning goal, with the Canadiens' victory in the 1930 Stanley Cup Finals

1930 Stanley Cup Finals

-References:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books, 12, 57. ISBN 1-55168-261-3.-See also:*1929–30 NHL season...

over the Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

. The Bruins, who finished with a 38–5–1 record and at one point during the season went 23 games without a defeat, lost consecutive games to Montreal in the finals, 3–0 and 4–3. The Canadiens became the fourth team in Stanley Cup history to repeat as champions, defeating the Chicago Black Hawks

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

in five games to capture the 1931 Stanley Cup Championship

1931 Stanley Cup Finals

-References:* Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame . Lord Stanley's Cup. Bolton, Ont.: Fenn Pub. pp 12, 50. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7...

1932–46: Howie Morenz and Rocket Richard

Attendance was in decline across the league as the Great Depression

Great Depression

took hold. The Habs posted a losing record in 1932–33, leading to still smaller crowds. Averaging only 2,000 fans per game, the team sold Morenz to the Chicago Black Hawks

Chicago Blackhawks

in 1934 as part of an effort to cut costs. The move was not a popular one, and fans voiced their opinion of the deal by giving Morenz a standing ovation when he scored against the Canadiens on the last day of the 1934–35 season.

With losses of $60,000 over the previous two seasons, the Canadiens were put up for sale in 1935. Dandurand and Cattarinich entered negotiations to sell the club and move it to Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

, but a syndicate of local Montreal businessmen led by Maurice Forget and Ernest Savard

Ernest Savard

J. Ernest Savard was a Canadian stock broker and a partner in the brokerage firm of Savard & Hart in Montreal, Quebec.A sports fan, in 1928 Savard partnered with fellow Montreal businessman and politician Athanase David and American baseball executive George Stallings to revive the Montreal Royals...

stepped forward to buy the team and prevent the transfer. The Canadiens struggled on the ice, finishing with the worst record in the league in 1935–36. The new owners asked Cecil Hart

Cecil Hart

Cecil Hart was a head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. He was born in Bedford, Quebec.Hart helped lead the team to three Stanley Cups, in 1924, 1930, and 1931...

to coach the team, in the hopes that he would bring the Habs back to respectability. Hart agreed with one stipulation: that the Canadiens bring back Morenz. The team agreed, and acquired an overjoyed Morenz in a trade with the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

Morenz's return to Montreal lasted less than a season: in January 1937, while being checked by Chicago's Earl Seibert

Earl Seibert

Earl Walter Seibert was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played for 15 seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.-Playing career:...

, his skate caught on the ice and Morenz broke his leg in four places. He never recovered, and died of a coronary embolism on March 8. Aurel Joliat offered a different explanation of his death: "Howie loved to play hockey more than anyone ever loved anything, and when he realized that he would never play again, he couldn't live with it. I think Howie died of a broken heart." On the day of his funeral, 50,000 people filed past Morenz's casket at centre ice of the Montreal Forum to pay their last respects to the man the media called "the Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

of hockey". A benefit game in November 1937 raised $20,000 for Morenz's family as the NHL All-Stars defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6–5. Morenz was one of the first players elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey Hall of Fame

when it was created in 1945.

The Canadiens continued to finish near the bottom of the league standings for several seasons. The low point came in 1939–40: Babe Siebert

Babe Siebert

Albert Charles "Babe" Siebert was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and defenceman who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Maroons, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...

, who was named the Habs' coach following his retirement as a player in 1939, drowned before the season began, and Pit Lepine

Pit Lepine

Alfred Pierre "Pit" Lépine was a Canadian ice hockey forward and coach. He was born in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec....

was named as his replacement. With an aging roster, the Canadiens finished last, winning only 10 games. That team's .260 winning percentage is still the worst in franchise history. Largely due to the team's poor play, the Canadiens only drew 3,000 fans per game, leading Savard and his partners to consider suspending operations at least for the duration of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Instead, they sold the franchise to the team's landlord, the Canadian Arena Company

Brookfield Properties

Brookfield Office Properties Inc. is a North American commercial real estate company. Brookfield Asset Management owns fifty percent of its outstanding common shares. The company has its headquarters operations in New York City and Toronto...

.

At this point, relief arrived from an unexpected quarter—Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe

Conn Smythe

Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...

. The Depression had already forced three teams to either shut down outright or suspend operations never to return. Additionally, the New York Americans

New York Americans

The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...

had been wards of the league since 1936, and it was considered to be only a matter of time before they folded. Smythe suggested that the Arena Company hire the Maple Leafs' former coach, Dick Irvin

Dick Irvin

James Dickinson Irvin, Sr. was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Irvin was one of the greatest players of his day, balancing a torrid slapshot and tough style with gentlemanly play...

. Irvin was a proven winner, having led the Maple Leafs to seven finals and one Cup in nine years. The Arena Company readily accepted Smythe's suggestion, and turned to Irvin to lead the once-proud team's revitalization.

By 1943, the war effort had a devastating effect on many rosters. The Red Wings lost nine players and the Maple Leafs lost six to the military. The Rangers lost ten players and had to be persuaded by the other teams not to suspend operations. In contrast, the Canadiens lost only one key player in Ken Reardon

Ken Reardon

Kenneth Joseph "Kenny" Reardon was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966....

. Young phenom Maurice Richard

Maurice Richard

tried to enlist, but was turned down due to his medical history. Canadiens General Manager Tommy Gorman

Tommy Gorman

reportedly ensured his players obtained jobs in key wartime industries to avoid conscription

Conscription

Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...

.

Led by the "Punch Line" of Richard, Toe Blake

Toe Blake

Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...

and Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach

Elmer James Lach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial...

, the Habs won their fifth Stanley Cup in 1944, losing only five games in the regular season. In 1944–45, the team won 38 games and lost only eight, and Richard was the focus of the media and fans as he attempted to be the first player in league history to score 50 goals in a 50-game season

50 goals in 50 games

"50 goals in 50 games" refers to the act of scoring 50 goals in the first 50 games of a National Hockey League season. Scoring fifty goals in fifty games in the NHL is a rare achievement....

. Richard set a single-game scoring record, recording five goals and three assists in a 9–1 victory over Detroit on December 28, 1944. He later broke Joe Malone's goal scoring record when he scored his 45th goal, after which opposing teams did all they could to prevent him from reaching the 50 goal mark. He was slashed, elbowed and held as no team wanted to be known as the one that gave up the milestone goal. Richard finally scored his 50th goal in Boston at 17:45 of the third period of Montreal's final game of the season. The record, previously considered nearly impossible to achieve, elevated Richard to the status of provincial hero in Quebec.

1946–67: the Original Six

Prior to the expansion of the NHL in 1967

1967 NHL expansion

The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...

, the league was reduced to six franchises, which would become known after 1967 as the "Original Six

Original Six

The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...

". Frank Selke replaced Tommy Gorman

Tommy Gorman

as general manager of the Canadiens in 1946, and held the post until 1964. Selke spent several years attempting to sign teenage star Jean Beliveau

Jean Béliveau

Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...

to play for the Canadiens. Beliveau played brief stints with the Habs in 1950 and 1952, but his loyalty to the Quebec Aces

Quebec Aces

The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. The Aces were founded in 1928, and played until 1971. The team played home games at the Quebec Coliseum from 1930 to 1971.The Aces were Allan Cup...

of the Quebec Senior Hockey League

Quebec Senior Hockey League

The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...

led him to turn the Canadiens down repeatedly when they pressed him to move to Montreal full time. The Canadiens finally bought the entire Quebec senior league in 1953 and turned it professional in order to bring Beliveau into the fold, and he signed a five-year contract for $100,000. He spent his entire 18-year, Hall of Fame NHL career with the Habs.

In March 1955, Richard was suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, after he received a match penalty

Penalty (ice hockey)

A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

for slashing Boston's Hal Laycoe

Hal Laycoe

Harold Richardson Laycoe was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Laycoe started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers. He would also play with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. His playing career lasted from 1945 to 1956...

and subsequently punching a linesman who intervened. The suspension touched off a wave of anger toward league president Clarence Campbell

Clarence Campbell

Clarence Sutherland Campbell OBE, QC was the third president of the National Hockey League from 1946 to 1977.-Early life and career:...

, who was warned not to attend a scheduled game in Montreal after receiving numerous death threats, mainly from French-Canadians accusing him of anti-French bias. Campbell dismissed the warnings, and attended the March 17 game as planned. His presence at the game was perceived by many fans as a provocation and he was booed and pelted with eggs and fruit. An hour into the game, a fan lobbed a tear-gas bomb in Campbell's direction, causing fire officials to clear the building. Fans leaving the Forum were met by a growing mob of angry demonstrators who overwhelmed the 250 police officers on the scene and rioted outside of the Forum. Seventy people were arrested, 37 people injured, 50 stores were looted and $100,000 in property damage was reported as a result of the melee, which became known as , or the Richard Riot

Richard Riot

. The incident highlighted the growing cultural gap between French Quebec and English Canada and the riot is often described as an early manifestation of Quebec's Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution

The following day, Richard went on a French-language Montreal radio station to ask the fans to stop rioting and instead to support the Canadiens in the playoffs. He also said he would accept his punishment and return the following year to win the Cup. While the Canadiens were defeated in the 1955 Stanley Cup Finals

1955 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1955 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Montreal Canadiens, appearing in their fifth of ten straight Finals and the defending champion Detroit Red Wings, in the fourth Detroit-Montreal Final series of the 1950s and the second consecutively. The Wings would win the...

, Richard led Montreal to the 1956 Stanley Cup

1956 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1956 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Montreal Canadiens and the defending champion Detroit Red Wings in the fifth Detroit-Montreal series in the 1950s. The Canadiens were making the sixth consecutive appearance in the Final series; Detroit was making their third...

as he promised.

The 1955–56 season

1955-56 NHL season

-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...

was the first as head coach for Toe Blake, who was hired to help control Richard's temper. The 1956 victory began an unprecedented streak of five consecutive Stanley Cups for the Canadiens from 1956 to 1960; the 1960 final

1960 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1960 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, appearing in their tenth consecutive Final series and the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a rematch of the 1959 Final. The Canadiens won the series four games to none for their fifth straight Cup victory...

was Montreal's tenth consecutive appearance in the championship series. Richard, the first player to score 500 career goals in NHL history, retired in 1960 with 544 career goals and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey Hall of Fame

in 1961. The customary three-year waiting period was waived in honour of his accomplishments.

Goaltender Jacques Plante

Jacques Plante

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...

had been wearing a mask during practices for some time, but did not wear it during games due to the objections of Blake and Selke who held the traditional view that players should not wear facial protection. That changed on November 1, 1959, after he was struck in the face early in a game at Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

. As teams did not dress backup goaltenders during this time, the game was delayed 20 minutes while doctors frantically stitched Plante up. When Blake asked him if he was ready to return to play, Plante refused to return to the ice unless he was allowed to wear a mask. Blake was livid, but agreed only if Plante removed the mask when his face was healed. Wearing the mask, Plante led the Canadiens on an 18 game unbeaten streak. He finally removed the mask at Blake's urging and promptly lost the next game. Defeated, Blake relented. Plante's mask became a permanent fixture as he led the Canadiens to their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup. Other goalies followed Plante's lead soon after.

When the NHL instituted the NHL Amateur Draft in 1963, the Canadiens were given the option to replace their regular first selection with two "Cultural Picks" that could be used to draft up to two French-Canadian players before any other team made any selections. The team used one cultural pick in 1968, and both in 1969, when it drafted Rejean Houle

Réjean Houle

Réjean Houle is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward, most notably for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League, for whom he also served a controversial stint as general manager.-Playing career:...

and Marc Tardif

Marc Tardif

Marc Tardif is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is the leading goal scorer in the history of the World Hockey Association, principally for the Quebec Nordiques.-Playing career:...

, two top prospects. This option was eliminated after the 1969 draft.

Selke retired in 1964 and was succeeded by Sam Pollock

Sam Pollock

. Often named the best general manager in NHL history, Pollock led the Canadiens to nine Stanley Cup championships in his 14 years at the helm of the team. One of his key tactics was trading aging stars to expansion teams for draft

Draft (sports)

A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...

picks, which led to the team drafting future Hall of Famers Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur

Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...

, Larry Robinson

Larry Robinson

Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...

and Ken Dryden

Ken Dryden

Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...

. The Canadiens won consecutive titles in 1965 and 1966, and entered the 1967 Stanley Cup Final against Toronto as a heavy favourite. The City of Montreal was so confident in the Canadiens that they had already built a space for the Stanley Cup on the Expo 67

Expo 67

The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...

site, but the Canadiens fell to the Maple Leafs, in the last NHL finals of the Original Six

Original Six

era.

1967–79: expansion era

The NHL doubled in size to 12 teams in 1967–68 and organized itself into two divisions: the East Division, with the original six teams, and the West Division, which contained the six expansion franchises. The playoff format was constructed so that an established team would face an expansion team in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens recovered from their loss in 1967 to sweep the St. Louis Blues four games to none in both 1968 and 1969 for their 15th and 16th championships.

The Canadiens missed the playoffs entirely in 1969–70, losing the last playoff spot in the East on a tiebreaker. On the last day of the season, New York defeated the Red Wings 9–5, tying Montreal in points and obtaining a five-goal lead on the Canadiens in total goals scored for the season. Montreal needed to win its game against the Black Hawks, or score at least five goals to qualify for the postseason. Trailing 5–2 with eight minutes to play, head coach Claude Ruel

Claude Ruel

Claude Ruel was a head coach for the National Hockey League Montreal Canadiens. Claude was a two-time coach for the Habs. He coached the team from 1968 to 1970 and later from 1979 to 1981. He led the team to the 1969 Stanley Cup Championship...

pulled his goaltender for an extra skater and watched Montreal surrender five empty net goals while scoring none to lose the game 10–2 and the final playoff spot to the Rangers. It was the only time between 1948 and 1995 that the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs.

The team rebounded in 1970–71, winning its 17th Stanley Cup. Rookie Ken Dryden had played only six games in his NHL career when he was named the starting goaltender for the playoffs. He led the team to series wins over Boston, Minnesota and Chicago, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Team captain Jean Beliveau, the fourth player in league history to score 500 career goals, announced his retirement following the season. Despite his Cup triumph, Al MacNeil

Al MacNeil

Allister Wences MacNeil is a former National Hockey League player and coach. He was the first person from the Maritime region of Canada to be a head coach in the NHL....

was removed as coach after just one season amidst conflicts with several players, including Henri Richard

Henri Richard

Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...

, who described MacNeil as being "incompetent" during the playoffs. MacNeil was replaced by Scotty Bowman

Scotty Bowman

William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...

, a Montreal native and former Blues coach. Bowman coached the Canadiens for eight seasons, winning five Stanley Cups, including four in a row from 1976 to 1979.

Following the success of the Summit Series

Summit Series

The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...

in 1972, a series of exhibition games between NHL and Soviet League clubs known as the Super Series

Super Series

The Super Series were exhibition games between Soviet teams and NHL teams that took place on each NHL opponents' home ice in North America from 1976 to 1991. The Soviet teams were usually club teams from the Soviet hockey league. The exception was in 1983, when the Soviet National Team represented...

was launched. On New Year's Eve 1975, the Canadiens met the Soviet Red Army

HC CSKA Moscow

HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...

in a game that is considered to be one of the greatest ever played. A contest between the two greatest hockey teams in the world, the match ended in a 3–3 draw following Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak

Vladislav Tretiak

Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...

's 35-save performance.

The 1976–77 Canadiens won 60 games in an 80-game schedule, losing only eight times, and just once at home. Guy Lafleur led the league in scoring, and won the Hart

Hart Memorial Trophy

The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...

, Lester B. Pearson

Lester B. Pearson Award

The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...

, Art Ross

Art Ross Trophy

The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...

and Conn Smythe trophies; Dryden won the Vezina Trophy, Bowman the Jack Adams Award

Jack Adams Award

The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...

and Larry Robinson

Larry Robinson

the Norris Trophy. The Canadiens were so dominant that Dryden complained to The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...

that he was "a little bored" by the lack of competition. The 1976–77 Canadiens are widely considered to be the greatest team in NHL history, though arguments exist for the 1955–56 and 1975–76 Canadiens teams as well.

The 1978–79 season capped Montreal's run of four consecutive championships in dramatic fashion. Facing the Bruins in the seventh game of the league semifinals, Montreal trailed 4–3 with less than two minutes to play when Boston coach Don Cherry accidentally sent too many players

Too Many Men

Too many men is a penalty that may be called in various team sports when the team has more players on the field or other playing area than are allowed by the rules...

onto the ice during a line change, drawing what would become one of the most famous penalties in league history, and eventually costing Cherry his job. During the subsequent power play, Lafleur scored the game-tying goal with 74 seconds remaining in regulation time, and Yvon Lambert

Yvon Lambert

Yvon Pierre Lambert is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Yvon started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1973. He would spend nine years in Montreal before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres...

scored in overtime to win the game and series. The Canadiens proceeded to defeat the Rangers for the Cup in five games.

The Canadiens' domiance in the late 1970's was due in part to the presence of the rival World Hockey Association

World Hockey Association

(which had begun play in 1972) - the Canadiens were far more successful compared to other NHL teams in resisting WHA efforts to lure away top talent. The Canadiens played a central role in the 1979 merger

NHL–WHA merger

The 1979 merger of the NHL and WHA was the culmination of several years of negotiations between the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association that resulted in four WHA franchises joining the NHL as expansion franchises for the 1979–80 season...

with the WHA, which added the Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

, Hartford Whalers

Hartford Whalers

The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...

, Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

and Winnipeg Jets to the NHL. After years of talks, a merger agreement was reached between the two leagues, but the NHL's governors rejected the deal by one vote. Most of the NHL's American teams were in favour of the merger in part because they thought it would help them challenge Montreal's dominance, whereas against the deal were the Canadiens, who, along with the Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

and Toronto Maple Leafs, opposed splitting Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...

television revenues six ways instead of three. Upon hearing the result of the vote, fans in Edmonton, Quebec, and Winnipeg launched a massive boycott of products sold by Molson

Molson

Molson-Coors Canada Inc. is the Canadian division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is the second oldest company in Canada after the Hudson's Bay Company. Molson's first brewery was located on the St...

, owners of the Canadiens since 1978. The boycott, along with pressure from the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

, led Montreal and Vancouver to reverse their positions when a re-vote was held on March 22, 1979, allowing the merger to pass.

1980–96: transitions

The Canadiens entered the 1980s in transition, as Dryden, Lemaire and team captain Yvan Cournoyer

Yvan Cournoyer

Yvan Serge "The Roadrunner" Cournoyer is a retired Canadian hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979. Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. He was nicknamed "The Roadrunner" due to his small size and blazing speed, which he...

announced their retirements in 1979, and Serge Savard

Serge Savard

Serge Aubrey "The Senator" Savard, OC, CQ is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a local businessman in Montreal, and is nicknamed the Senator.-Playing career:Savard played minor league hockey with the...

followed suit in 1981. A trade during the 1982–83 season sent Rod Langway

Rod Langway

Rod Cory Langway is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...

and Doug Jarvis

Doug Jarvis

Douglas M. Jarvis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Doug...

to the Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

. Among their replacements were Swedish star Mats Naslund

Mats Näslund

Mats Näslund , nicknamed "Le Petit Viking", is a retired Swedish ice hockey player. He played as a left wing.-NHL career:...

and forward Guy Carbonneau

Guy Carbonneau

Guy Carbonneau is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. He is also the president of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 's Chicoutimi Saguenéens. He has two daughters Anne-Marie and Kristina, with wife Line Carbonneau. Anne-Marie married his former...

. Bob Gainey

Bob Gainey

Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989...

was appointed by the club to succeed Savard as team captain. Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur

remained the team's offensive star, recording his 1,000th career point in 1981 in just 720 games, the fastest anyone had reached that milestone in NHL history, and a record that stood until broken by Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...

in 1984.

Doug Wickenheiser

Doug Wickenheiser

Douglas Peter Wickenheiser was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.-Career:Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada...

was selected by Montreal with the first pick at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft

1980 NHL Entry Draft

The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft. The National Hockey League teams selected 210 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1979–80 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the...

. The decision was highly controversial as the fans in Montreal had hoped the team would take francophone star Denis Savard

Denis Savard

Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...

. Wickenheiser's transition to the NHL was difficult; his popularity was harmed by comparisons of his struggles to Savard's immediate success with the Black Hawks. He was traded to the Blues midway through the 1983–84 season.

Gainey explained the changing fortunes of the franchise following their playoff defeat at the hands of the Nordiques in 1982: "We can't put on our sweaters anymore and expect to win." The Canadiens' mystique had been broken by consecutive playoff losses to the upstart Minnesota North Stars

Minnesota North Stars

The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...

, the Oilers

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

and the Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

. The loss to Quebec in 1982 was the culmination of a vicious series where the players attempted to hurt and intimidate their opponents, while the media argued over which team better represented francophone Quebec. Montreal's growing rivalry with Quebec

Battle of Quebec (ice hockey)

The Battle of Quebec is the nickname for a former National Hockey League rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques. The rivalry lasted from the 1979–80 to 1994–95 seasons. The teams played against each other five times in the NHL playoffs, and the Canadiens won three of the series...

peaked two years later in 1984 when they eliminated the Nordiques in six games, but not before the Good Friday Massacre

Good Friday Massacre

made headlines. A hit by Quebec's Dale Hunter

Dale Hunter

Dale Robert Hunter is a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.-NHL career:...

on Montreal goaltender Steve Penney sparked a bench-clearing brawl

Bench-clearing brawl

A bench-clearing brawl, sometimes known as a basebrawl or a rhubarb, is a form of ritualistic fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, in which every player on both teams leave their dugouts, bullpens, or benches and charge the playing area in order to fight one...

at the end of the second period. A second brawl, including some players who were ejected as a result of the first, erupted before the start of the third period. Ten players were ejected from the game, and 198 penalties in minutes were handed out as a result of the incidents, which proved a turning point in the game as Montreal scored five third period goals to win.

Rookie goaltender Patrick Roy

Patrick Roy

led the Canadiens to their 23rd Stanley Cup championship in over the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

in the first all-Canadian Stanley Cup final since . The 1986 Canadiens were young and led by rookie head coach Jean Perron

Jean Perron

Jean Perron was a head coach for the National Hockey League Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques. Perron coached the Habs for three seasons, and led them to a Stanley Cup in 1986. He was the last rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup until Dan Bylsma achieved the same feat in 2009 with the...

and forward Claude Lemieux

Claude Lemieux

Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...

, in addition to Roy who became the youngest player in league history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Brian Skrudland

Brian Skrudland

Brian Skrudland is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars.- Junior and minor pro :...

, another rookie, scored the game-winning goal just nine seconds into overtime of the second game of the finals – the fastest overtime goal in league history. The two teams met again in the 1989 Stanley Cup Finals

1989 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...

, the most recent all-Canadian Stanley Cup Final, with the Flames emerging victorious in six games. It was the only time a visiting team defeated the Canadiens to win the Cup on Forum ice.

The Stanley Cup celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1993, returning again to Canada with the Canadiens' 24th Stanley Cup victory, the most recent NHL championship won by a Canadian team.
After losing the first game of their Adams Division

Adams Division

The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...

semi-final to the Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

in overtime, the Canadiens won ten overtime games en route to the title, setting an NHL record for most consecutive overtime victories in a playoff year. As with the 1986 championship, the team was led by Roy, who won his second Conn Smythe Trophy. The defining moment of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals

1993 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1993 Stanley Cup Final series was contested by the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens to decide the NHL championship for the 1992–93 season. It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings, and the 34th for Montreal, their first since the 1989 Final. The Canadiens won the...

occurred in the second game, with less than two minutes to play and Montreal trailing the series 1–0 and the game 2–1. Attempting to gain an advantage for his team, coach Jacques Demers called for a measurement of Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

forward Marty McSorley

Marty McSorley

Martin James "Marty" McSorley is a retired Canadian professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. A versatile player, he was able to play both the forward and defense positions. He is also a former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American...

's stick. Referee Kerry Fraser

Kerry Fraser

Kerry Fraser is a hockey analyst and former senior referee in the National Hockey League, having joined the National Hockey League Officials Association on September 1, 1973, and officiating his first game in the 1980–81 season. Fraser's father, Hilton "Hilt" Fraser, had him skating at 15 months...

determined that the blade had an illegal curve, and assessed a penalty against McSorley. Montreal scored on the power play to tie the game, and then won in overtime 3–2, to tie the series. Montreal also won games three and four in overtime before eliminating the Kings in game 5 by a 4–1 score. The celebration was marred by one of the worst riots in Montreal history, as fans rioted through downtown Montreal causing over $2.5 million in property damage and 168 injuries.
The Canadiens failed to repeat their success in 1993–94, as the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Bruins in seven games. Montreal's loss in game six was the last playoff game ever played at the Montreal Forum. The team missed the playoffs entirely in 1994–95, the first time in 25 years the Canadiens did not qualify, and the third time in 55 seasons. Montreal rebounded to make the playoffs in 1995–96, but the future of the team was altered on December 2, 1995, when the Canadiens were embarrassed 11–1 by the Red Wings. Patrick Roy allowed nine goals on 26 shots before he was pulled in the second period to mock cheers from the Montreal crowd. Roy was furious, and felt that coach Mario Tremblay

Mario Tremblay

Mario Tremblay is a former professional ice hockey player and former coach in the National Hockey League...

deliberately left him in to be embarrassed. After reaching the bench, he moved past Tremblay to team president Ronald Corey

Ronald Corey

Ronald Corey, CM is a Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey executive with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . In 1991, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.-Businessman:...

, who was seated in the first row, and declared "This is my last game in Montreal."

Four days later, Roy was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

with Mike Keane

Mike Keane

Michael John Keane is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004, and then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010...

for Jocelyn Thibault

Jocelyn Thibault

Jocelyn Thibault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres...

, Martin Rucinsky

Martin Rucinsky

Martin Ručinský is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for HC Litvínov of the Czech Extraliga. Ručínský was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round as the 20th overall selection in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft on June 22, 1991. Ručinský led the Montreal Canadiens in...

and Andrei Kovalenko

Andrei Kovalenko

Andrei Nikolaevich Kovalenko is a retired professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins...

. The deal vaulted the Avalanche, the former Nordiques, to the 1996 Stanley Cup. Roy won another title with the Avalanche in 2001 along with a third Conn Smythe Trophy before retiring in 2003 with more wins than any NHL goaltender. The Canadiens, meanwhile, fell into an extended stretch of mediocrity, missing the playoffs in four of their next ten seasons and failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs until 2010. The team's lack of playoff success brought an end to its streak of winning a Stanley Cup in each decade from the 1910s to the 1990s.

The sport's changing economics led the Canadiens to build a new arena in 1996 to increase revenue. The final game at the Forum was held March 11, 1996, a 4–1 victory over the Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

. Following the game, an elaborate ceremony was held with many of the franchise's greatest members welcomed onto the rink. The most boisterous response was reserved for Rocket Richard, who received a ten-minute standing ovation. Finally, Emile Bouchard

Emile Bouchard

Émile Joseph "Butch" Bouchard, CM, CQ is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played defence with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1941 to 1956. He is member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, won four Stanley Cups, was captain of the Canadiens for eight years and was voted...

, the oldest living former captain, came onto the ice bearing a lit torch, and it was passed in a symbolic trail through the Canadiens' history: Bouchard passed it to Richard, who passed it to Beliveau, and so on in chronological order to each former captain present, ending with Pierre Turgeon

Pierre Turgeon

Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...

. In 72 years at the forum, the Canadiens won over 1,500 games and captured 22 Stanley Cups.

1996-2009: new home and new owners

Five days after the closing of the Montreal Forum, the Canadiens played its first game at the Molson Centre (since renamed the Bell Centre

Bell Centre

The Bell Centre , formerly known as the Molson Centre , is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996 after nearly three years under construction...

). With a capacity of 22,500, the Bell Centre claims to be the largest indoor arena in North America. In the inaugural game, Montreal defeated the Rangers 4–2, with the first goal scored by Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Francois Damphousse is a retired Canadian professional hockey who played in the National Hockey League for eighteen seasons. He played centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks, winning a Stanley Cup championship with Montreal in 1993...

. The Canadiens struggled to achieve playoff success in the new arena: by 2002, they had won only a single playoff round since their 1993 championship.

Montreal finished in last place in the Northeast Division

Northeast Division (NHL)

The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division...

in 1998–99 and missed the playoffs. Their 75 points was the lowest total in 40 years. The season concluded with rumours of the team being sold and relocated if it did not receive government subsidies to help alleviate pressures from Quebec's tax system and the record-low value of the Canadian dollar

Canadian dollar

The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

. The Canadiens denied the report, however Molson hired investment bank Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....

to examine its future involvement in sports. Montreal missed the playoffs again the next two seasons, and annual losses of $10–$12 million and a desire to focus on its core brewing business led Molson to put the franchise up for sale in the summer of 2001.

When no local buyers emerged for the team and a proposed Canadian government assistance program for the six remaining Canadian teams was canceled following public disapproval, it was feared that the Canadiens would follow the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

in relocating to the United States. American businessman George N. Gillett Jr.

George N. Gillett Jr.

-Biography:George Gillett graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1956. He attended Amherst College and is a graduate of Dominican College in Racine, Wisconsin....

purchased an 80.1% share of the team and 100% of the Molson Centre for $275 million. As part of the deal, Molson retained 19.9% of the team and were granted the right of first refusal for any future sale by Gillett; in addition, the NHL board of governors would be required to unanimously approve any attempt to move to a new city.

Prior to the 2001–02 season, the club announced that captain Saku Koivu

Saku Koivu

Saku Antero Koivu is a Finnish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...

had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....

and would miss the entire season. Koivu managed to return with three games left in the regular season, and along with goaltender Jose Theodore

José Théodore

José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...

, who would win the Hart Memorial Trophy

Hart Memorial Trophy

that year, led the Canadiens into the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. The eighth-seeded Canadiens upset the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, and Koivu led the team in playoff scoring with 10 points in 12 games. In recognition of his tenacity in returning from cancer treatment, the league voted Koivu as the Masterton Trophy winner for dedication and perseverance.

The first outdoor hockey game in NHL history, the Heritage Classic, was held on November 22, 2003, in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

at Commonwealth Stadium

Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)

Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...

. The Canadiens defeated the Oilers

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

4–3, in front of an NHL-record crowd of 57,167, who braved temperatures of −20 °C. The success of the Heritage Classic led to the creation of the Winter Classic, an annual outdoor game held since 2008.

The 2004–05 NHL lockout cancelled the season entirely. After the Montreal Expos

Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

franchise departed for Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, in 2005, the Canadiens acquired former Expos mascot Youppi

Youppi

Youppi! is the official mascot for the Montreal Canadiens and former longtime mascot of Montreal Expos .-History:...

to serve as their first-ever mascot. Having missed the playoffs in 2006–07, the Canadiens rebounded to win their first division title in 15 years in 2007–08, as well as their first regular season conference title since 1989.

Since 2009: Molson family acquires team

Ownership of the Canadiens once again passed to the Molson family

Molson family

The Molson family of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was founded by John Molson who emigrated to Canada in 1782 from his home in Lincolnshire, England....

in 2009 after Gillett sold the team, Bell Centre, and Gillett Entertainment Group to a partnership headed by Geoff Molson and including his brothers Andrew and John.
The sale price was estimated at over $600 million. On the ice, during the 2010 playoffs

2010 Stanley Cup playoffs

The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...

, the team reached the Stanley Cup conference finals for the first time since 1993, upsetting the top-seeded Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals

and the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

in the first two rounds; the Habs lost the conference finals to the Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

.

The NHL revived the Heritage Classic

Heritage Classic

The Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first National Hockey League game to be played outdoors as a part of regular season play...

concept, with the Canadiens facing the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

at McMahon Stadium

McMahon Stadium

McMahon Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located in Calgary, Alberta. The stadium is owned by the University of Calgary and operated by the McMahon Stadium Society....

in Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

on February 20, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens, by a score of 4–0, before a crowd of 41,022 spectators.
The 2011 Heritage Classic

2011 Heritage Classic

The 2011 Heritage Classic was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames. The game was played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on February 20, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens by a score of 4–0 before a crowd of...

was the second outdoors game held during the 2010–11 season, following the 2011 NHL Winter Classic

2011 NHL Winter Classic

The 2011 NHL Winter Classic was the fourth edition of the annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League as a regular season game. The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on January 1, 2011 at 8:00 p.m...

Retired numbers

No.	Player	Date retired
1	Jacques Plante Jacques Plante Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...	October 7, 1995
2	Doug Harvey	October 26, 1985
3	Emile Bouchard Emile Bouchard Émile Joseph "Butch" Bouchard, CM, CQ is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played defence with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1941 to 1956. He is member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, won four Stanley Cups, was captain of the Canadiens for eight years and was voted...	December 4, 2009
4	Jean Beliveau Jean Béliveau Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...	October 9, 1971
5	Bernie Geoffrion Bernie Geoffrion Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...	March 11, 2006
7	Howie Morenz Howie Morenz Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...	November 2, 1937
9	Maurice Richard Maurice Richard Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...	October 6, 1960
10	Guy Lafleur Guy Lafleur Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...	February 16, 1985
12	Dickie Moore	November 12, 2005
12	Yvan Cournoyer Yvan Cournoyer Yvan Serge "The Roadrunner" Cournoyer is a retired Canadian hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979. Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. He was nicknamed "The Roadrunner" due to his small size and blazing speed, which he...	November 12, 2005
16	Henri Richard Henri Richard Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...	December 10, 1975
16	Elmer Lach Elmer Lach Elmer James Lach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial...	December 4, 2009
18	Serge Savard Serge Savard Serge Aubrey "The Senator" Savard, OC, CQ is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a local businessman in Montreal, and is nicknamed the Senator.-Playing career:Savard played minor league hockey with the...	November 18, 2006
19	Larry Robinson Larry Robinson Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...	November 19, 2007
23	Bob Gainey Bob Gainey Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989...	February 23, 2008
29	Ken Dryden Ken Dryden Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...	January 29, 2007
33	Patrick Roy Patrick Roy Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...	November 22, 2008

The Canadiens have retired 15 numbers, honouring 17 players. Howie Morenz's number 7 was the first jersey to be retired, shortly after his death in 1937. Maurice Richard's number 9 followed in 1960; his 544 career goals are a franchise record. Henri Richard, brother of Maurice, was honoured in 1975 with the retirement of his number 16, after 21 seasons and 11 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens. Henri holds the franchise games-played record with 1256.

Jean Beliveau's number 4 was retired in 1971 after he left the game as the all-time leading scorer in Stanley Cup Playoff history. Beliveau was offered but declined the position of Governor General of Canada

Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...

in 1994; he is the only hockey player known to have been asked to serve in this capacity. Guy Lafleur's number 10 followed in February 1985 after his first retirement. Lafleur was a six-time All-Star with the Canadiens, and won three scoring titles and two most valuable player awards. Also in 1985, Doug Harvey's number 2 was raised to the rafters. The defenceman won six Norris Trophies as top defenceman in seven years between 1955 and 1961. Jacques Plante's number 1 was retired on October 17, 1995. Plante revolutionized the way goaltenders played the game, and he leads the Canadiens with 314 career wins.

Leading up to their centennial year, the Canadiens retired the jerseys of several players. They began with three former greats during the 2005–06 season. Montreal first retired the number 12 in honour of both Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer. Moore was a member of the Canadiens' dynasty of 1956–1960, while Cournoyer won ten titles between 1965 and 1979. Bernie Geoffrion

Bernie Geoffrion

Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...

was the third player honoured by the Canadiens. Nicknamed "Boom Boom", Geoffrion was considered the innovator of the slapshot

Slapshot

A slapshot in ice hockey is the hardest shot. It has four stages which are executed in one fluid motion:# The player winds up his hockey stick by raising it behind his body, sometimes raising the blade to shoulder height or higher.# Next the player violently "slaps" the ice slightly behind the...

. He died on March 11, 2006, the same day his number 5 was retired.

Serge Savard

Serge Savard

's number 18 was retired on November 18, 2006. Known for the "Savardian spin-a-rama", where he protected the puck by spinning around to avoid opponents, Savard also served as the team's general manager for ten years. His defensive partner Larry Robinson

Larry Robinson

's number 19 was retired one year later, as was Bob Gainey

Bob Gainey

's number 23. Gainey was considered one of the game's elite defensive forwards, winning four Selke Trophies and five Stanley Cups before serving as coach and general manager of the team. Patrick Roy's number 33 was retired on November 22, 2008. Roy's jersey retirement was a return "back to the Canadiens family" for the Hall of Fame goaltender, who had not maintained a relationship with the organization after his trade demand in 1995. Emile Bouchard

Emile Bouchard

's number 3, and Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach

's number 16 were retired on December 4, 2009, as part of the team's centennial celebration. (Lach had played as 16 before Richard did.)

Builders Row

The Canadiens created "Builders Row" in 2006 to honour the off-ice members of the club who helped lead the team to success. Seven people were initially inducted: team founder Ambrose O'Brien, former owners Leo Dandurand

Leo Dandurand

Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand , was a sportsman and businessman. He was the owner and coach of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team in the National Hockey League...

, Joseph Cattarinich

Joseph Cattarinich

, Louis A. Letourneau, and Hartland Molson

Hartland Molson

Hartland de Montarville Molson, was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian Senator and a member of the prominent Molson family of brewers.-Education:...

, former team president Donat Raymond

Donat Raymond

Donat Raymond was a Canadian Senator and builder in the National Hockey League.Born in St. Stanislas de Kostka, Quebec, Donat was a member of the Canadian Senate as a Liberal Party from 1926 to 1963. Donat was also head of the Canadian Arena Company that helped designed arenas throughout Canada...

, and special advisor William Northey

William Northey

William M. Northey , was a builder in the National Hockey League.Born in Leeds, Quebec, Northey became secretary at the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893. He would help lead the team to two Stanley Cups. In 1909, he helped convince ice hockey executives to change two rules still in place today...

. In 2008, the team added its three legendary coaches to the Row: Dick Irvin Sr., Toe Blake

Toe Blake

, and Scotty Bowman

Scotty Bowman

. The three served a combined 36 years behind the Canadiens' bench from 1940 to 1979.

Hockey Hall of Famers

The Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey Hall of Fame

was created in 1945 with twelve initial inductees, including two Canadiens: Howie Morenz and Georges Vezina. Morenz was considered hockey's first superstar, and in 1950 was voted the top hockey player of the half-century. Vezina perfected the "stand up" style of goaltending in an era when goaltenders were not allowed to drop to their knees to cover the puck, and became the standard by which future goaltenders judged themselves.

Maurice Richard, inducted in 1961, and Jean Beliveau, inducted in 1972, are two of ten players for whom the selection committee has waived the otherwise mandatory three-year waiting period before being eligible for induction. Defenceman Doug Harvey was unanimously elected in 1973, one year after being denied entry due to his drinking habits. Angered by the snub, Harvey refused his induction, stating that he planned to go fishing instead of attending the induction ceremony. Guy Lafleur was one of three players in NHL history (along with Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe

Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...

and Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...

) to return to playing after being elected. Lafleur, who had first retired in 1984 after growing frustrated with the Canadiens' defense-focused system, returned to the league days after his 1988 election, playing for the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

and Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

before finally retiring in 1991.

As of 2009, over 50 former Canadiens players have been elected to the Hall of Fame.
|Aurel Joliat

Aurel Joliat

Aurèle Émile "Mighty Atom, Little Giant" Joliat was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens....

Player	Position	Inducted	Player	Position	Inducted	Player	Position	Inducted
Players
Howie Morenz Howie Morenz Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...	C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...	1945	Marty Barry Marty Barry Martin J. "Goal-a-Game" Barry was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965...	C	1965	Yvan Cournoyer Yvan Cournoyer Yvan Serge "The Roadrunner" Cournoyer is a retired Canadian hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979. Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. He was nicknamed "The Roadrunner" due to his small size and blazing speed, which he...	RW Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...	1982
Georges Vezina Georges Vézina Joseph-Georges-Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association and nine in the National Hockey League , all with the Montreal Canadiens...	G	1945	Toe Blake Toe Blake Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...	LW Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...	1966	Ken Dryden Ken Dryden Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...	G	1983
LW	1947	Emile Bouchard Emile Bouchard Émile Joseph "Butch" Bouchard, CM, CQ is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played defence with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1941 to 1956. He is member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, won four Stanley Cups, was captain of the Canadiens for eight years and was voted...	D Defenceman (ice hockey) Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...	1966	Jacques Lemaire Jacques Lemaire Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...	C	1984
Newsy Lalonde Newsy Lalonde Édouard Cyrille "Newsy" Lalonde was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League and a professional lacrosse player, regarded as one of hockey's and lacrosse's greatest players of the first half of the 20th century and one of sport's most colourful characters...	C	1950	Elmer Lach Elmer Lach Elmer James Lach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial...	C	1966	Bert Olmstead Bert Olmstead Murray Albert Olmstead is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the...	RW	1985
Joe Malone	C	1950	Ken Reardon Ken Reardon Kenneth Joseph "Kenny" Reardon was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966....	D	1966	Serge Savard Serge Savard Serge Aubrey "The Senator" Savard, OC, CQ is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a local businessman in Montreal, and is nicknamed the Senator.-Playing career:Savard played minor league hockey with the...	D	1986
Sprague Cleghorn Sprague Cleghorn Henry William Sprague "Peg" Cleghorn, , was a Canadian professional hockey player from Westmount who played for the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Renfrew Creamery Kings and Toronto St. Patricks in the National Hockey Association and National Hockey League...	D	1958	Roy Worters Roy Worters Roy "Shrimp" Worters was a Canadian professional Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Canadiens and New York Americans, and was notable for recording 66 shutouts in his career and being, at 5'3" tall, the...	G	1969	Jacques Laperriere Jacques Laperriere Joseph Jacques Hughes Laperrière is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...	D	1987
Herb Gardiner Herb Gardiner Herbert Martin Gardiner was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Calgary Tigers of the Western Canada Hockey League and the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League . Additionally, he was the head coach of the Black Hawks for part of...	LW	1958	Tom Johnson	D	1970	Tony Esposito Tony Esposito For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....	G	1988
Sylvio Mantha Sylvio Mantha Sylvio Mantha was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...	D	1960	Jean Beliveau Jean Béliveau Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...	C	1972	Guy Lafleur Guy Lafleur Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...	RW	1988
Joe Hall Joe Hall Joseph Henry Hall , nicknamed Bad Joe Hall, was a professional ice hockey defenceman who played professionally from 1904 until 1919 when he died as a result of the influenza epidemic...	D	1961	Bernie Geoffrion Bernie Geoffrion Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...	RW	1972	Bud O'Connor Bud O'Connor Herbert William "Buddy" O'Connor was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...	RW	1988
George Hainsworth George Hainsworth George Hainsworth was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Crescents in the Western Canada Hockey League....	G	1961	Doug Harvey	D	1973	Bob Gainey Bob Gainey Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989...	LW	1992
Maurice Richard Maurice Richard Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...	RW	1961	Tommy Smith	C	1973	Guy Lapointe Guy Lapointe Guy Gerard "Pointu" Lapointe is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League...	D	1993
Harry Cameron Harry Cameron Harold Hugh "Cammie" Cameron was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played professionally for the Toronto Blueshirts, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, Toronto St. Pats and Montreal Canadiens. Cameron won three Stanley Cups in his career...	D	1962	Dickie Moore	LW	1974	Steve Shutt Steve Shutt Stephen John Shutt is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He was an integral part of the Montreal Canadiens team that won five Stanley Cups in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979.-Early years:...	LW	1993
Jimmy Gardner	F	1962	Gordie Drillon Gordie Drillon Gordon Arthur Drillon was a Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame ice hockey player. Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. From 1936 through to 1942 he was part of one of the NHL's most prolific scoring lines as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs...	RW	1975	Larry Robinson Larry Robinson Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...	D	1995
Jack Laviolette Jack Laviolette Jean-Baptiste "Jack" Laviolette was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played nine seasons for the Montreal Canadiens hockey club and was their first Captain, Coach, and General Manager....	D	1962	Jacques Plante Jacques Plante Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...	G	1978	Denis Savard Denis Savard Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...	C	2000
Reg Noble Reg Noble Edward Reginald Noble of Collingwood, Ontario) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman who played 17 professional seasons in the National Hockey Association and National Hockey League for the Toronto Blueshirts, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto St. Pats, Montreal Maroons,...	F	1962	Henri Richard Henri Richard Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...	C	1979	Rod Langway Rod Langway Rod Cory Langway is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...	D	2002
Didier Pitre Didier Pitre Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was nicked named "Cannonball". One of the first players to join the Montreal Canadiens, Pitre's French-Canadian heritage helped give his line-mates the nickname the Flying Frenchmen, brought upon by his...	D	1962	Gump Worsley Gump Worsley Lorne John "Gump" Worsley was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.-Career:...	G	1980	Dick Duff Dick Duff Terrence Richard "Dick" Duff was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 18 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League . He also served as head coach of the Leafs for part of the...	LW	2006
Bill Durnan Bill Durnan William Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...	G	1964	Frank Mahovlich Frank Mahovlich Francis William "The Big M" Mahovlich, CM is a Canadian Senator, and a retired NHL ice hockey player, nicknamed the "Big M." He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...	LW	1981	Patrick Roy Patrick Roy Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...	G	2006
Babe Siebert	LW	1964
Builders
Builder		Inducted	Builder		Inducted	Builder		Inducted
William Northey William Northey William M. Northey , was a builder in the National Hockey League.Born in Leeds, Quebec, Northey became secretary at the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893. He would help lead the team to two Stanley Cups. In 1909, he helped convince ice hockey executives to change two rules still in place today...		1947	Leo Dandurand Leo Dandurand Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand , was a sportsman and businessman. He was the owner and coach of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team in the National Hockey League...		1963	Joseph Cattarinich Joseph Cattarinich Joseph "Joe" Cattarinich , was a professional hockey player, and co-owner of horse racing tracks in Canada and the United States as well as a co-owner of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League....		1977
Donat Raymond Donat Raymond Donat Raymond was a Canadian Senator and builder in the National Hockey League.Born in St. Stanislas de Kostka, Quebec, Donat was a member of the Canadian Senate as a Liberal Party from 1926 to 1963. Donat was also head of the Canadian Arena Company that helped designed arenas throughout Canada...		1958	Tommy Gorman Tommy Gorman Thomas Patrick "T. P." Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League , a winner of seven Stanley Cups as a general manager with four teams, and an Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse player for Canada....		1963	Sam Pollock Sam Pollock Samuel Patterson Smyth "Sam" Pollock, OC, CQ was a general manager in the National Hockey League.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Sam was a keen evaluator of talent. In 1950, with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and in 1958, with the Ottawa Junior Canadiens, he won the Memorial Cup...		1978
Frank Selke		1960	Hartland Molson Hartland Molson Hartland de Montarville Molson, was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian Senator and a member of the prominent Molson family of brewers.-Education:...		1973	Scotty Bowman Scotty Bowman William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...		1991
Ambrose O'Brien		1962

External links

Historical website of the Montreal Canadiens

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.