Montreal Canadiens
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For current information on this topic, see 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season |
The Montreal Canadiens (French: Les Canadiens de Montréal) 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 (NHL). The club is officially known as Le Club de Hockey Canadien. French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens (or Le Canadien), Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge, La Sainte-Flanelle, Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux (or Nos Glorieux), Les Habitants and Le Grand Club. In English, the team's main nickname is the Habs (coming from "Les Habitants"). The French spelling Canadiens is always used in English (never Canadians).
Founded in 1909, eight years before the founding of the NHL, the Canadiens are the oldest continuously-operating club in the league and the only continuously-operating club to pre-date the league. On account of playing in the NHL prior to its 1967 expansion, they are considered one of the 'Original Six' teams. With the departure of the Quebec Nordiques in 1995, the Canadiens are the sole NHL team in Quebec. The team's Championship season in 1992-93 still marks the last time that a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.[1]
The Canadiens have achieved greater success than any other ice hockey club. They have won more Stanley Cups (24, the first in 1916, before the NHL existed) than any other team.[2] On a percentage basis, this makes them historically the most successful major professional sports team of the traditional four major sports of Canada and the United States, having won 36.3% of all NHL/NHA Stanley Cup championships. Only the Boston Celtics of the NBA (26.2%) and the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (25%) have achieved success rates anywhere remotely close to the Habs.
The Canadiens play their home games at the Bell Centre, which was named the Molson Centre until 2003.[3] Former homes of the team include Jubilee Rink, Montreal Westmount Arena, Mount Royal Arena and the famous Montreal Forum. The Forum was considered a veritable shrine to hockey fans everywhere,[4] and housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships.
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[edit] History
[edit] 1910-17: National Hockey Association
The Canadiens were founded on December 4, 1909 as a charter member of the NHL's forerunner, the National Hockey Association (NHA). The league's founder, Renfrew industrialist Ambrose O'Brien was persuaded by Montreal Wanderers manager Jimmy Gardner to start a francophone team in Montreal to promote a French-English rivalry. Gardner provided the name and O'Brien backed Jack Laviolette to run the team. The Canadiens played their first game on January 5, 1910.[5] The Canadiens would finish last that season.
After the first season, O'Brien gave way to George Kennedy, owner of the "Club Athlétique Canadien" for $7,500. Kennedy signed the 'Les Canadiens' players and its playing-coach Jack Laviolette and took over the lease of the Jubilee Rink. The 1910–11 season saw the debut of goaltender Georges Vezina and the return of star Newsy Lalonde. The club would move out of the basement and finish respectably in its first few years.
By 1915, the club was one of the top in the league. The club's first Stanley Cup win came in 1915–16. The Canadiens won the NHA championship and hosted the finals. In a best-of-five series the Canadiens defeated the Portland Rosebuds 3–2 led by Vezina's goaltending and the scoring of Didier Pitre. The following season, the Canadiens nearly repeated the win losing in the finals to the Seattle Metropolitans.
[edit] 1917-32: The Early National Hockey League
The Canadiens and four other NHA teams pulled out of the NHA to form the NHL in 1917. They moved out of the Jubilee Rink to share the Montreal Arena with the Wanderers, only to return to Jubilee after the Montreal Arena burned down. They won the first half of the regular season, qualifying for the playoffs against Toronto, but lost the playoff in what would be the first of many playoff battles with the team that would later become the Maple Leafs.
The next year, they once again faced Seattle for the Stanley Cup, but tragedy struck with the series tied at two games apiece. Seattle was struck by the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic, and on the day of the deciding fifth game, nearly every player on the Canadiens was either hospitalized or confined to bed. Seattle coach Pete Muldoon felt it wouldn't be fair to accept a forfeit victory under the circumstances and the series was abandoned. The Jubilee Rink burned down, forcing the team to quickly build Mount Royal Arena. Kennedy, who had never fully recovered from the 1919 flu bug died in 1921. His widow sold the team to Leo Dandurand, former player Joseph Cattarinich and Louis A. Letourneau for $11,500.
Led by the line of rookie Howie Morenz, Aurel Joliat and Billy Boucher, the Canadiens once again won the Stanley Cup in 1924. In 1925, the team went to the finals, losing to the Victoria Cougars. The next season would see Vezina die of tuberculosis and the team would finish last. The club would donate the Vezina Trophy in his honor.
The 1926-27 season was the Canadiens' first in the Montreal Forum. Built for the Maroons, the Canadiens moved there due to constant problems with the ice at the Mount Royal Arena. The team would win its third Stanley Cup in 1930, in an upset of the Boston Bruins. The teams would meet again in the following season's playoffs with Montreal winning again en-route to their fourth Cup.
[edit] 1932-67: The end of Morenz and the Original Six
The rest of the 1930s saw the Canadiens decline, having the league's worst record in 1935-36 NHL season. On January 28, 1937 star player Morenz suffered multiple fractures of his leg from a hit by Earl Seibert of the Blackhawks, and developed blood clots in his fractured leg which led to a stroke and died in hospital a month later. The low point came in 1939-40, with a horrendous 10-win season—still the worst in franchise history. This led to talk that the Canadiens might fold. Conn Smythe convinced Canadian Arena Company, which had bought the Canadiens in 1935, to hire Leafs coach Dick Irvin, who had taken the Leafs to the finals six times in eight years, to turn the club around.
Irvin's efforts bore fruit when, led by the "Punch Line" of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach, the Habs lifted the Cup again in 1944 after losing only five games in the regular season. In 1945, Richard made NHL history by becoming the first player to score 50 goals in one season, reaching the mark on the final night of the season — 50 goals in 50 games. Despite their power, the Habs lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the semi-finals. The team was to be invigorated in the 1946 playoffs, winning their sixth Stanley Cup.
The 1950s were by far the most successful decade for the Canadiens, and it is believed by many that the team of this era was the best team in NHL history. Between 1951 and 1960, the Canadiens made the finals every year, winning six times (including a record five straight between 1956 and 1960). Toe Blake succeeded Irvin as coach in 1955, and they added more of the league's great players such as Jean Beliveau (nicknamed Le Gros Bill), Dickie "Digger" Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Jacques Plante, and Richard's younger brother, Henri, who became known as the "Pocket Rocket".
Montreal fell into a state of unbridled love, if not obsession, with the Habs team. At no time was this more evident than when Rocket Richard was suspended for the rest of the season on March 13, 1955. Montrealers rioted in the streets at the following game (on March 17, in the 'Richard Riot. Without Richard, Montreal would lose in the finals to the Red Wings. After Rocket Richard's retirement in 1960, the Canadiens did not win the Cup again until 1965, in Yvan Cournoyer's rookie season, and repeated in 1966.
[edit] 1967-86: Expansion era
After expansion in 1967, the Canadiens handily defeated the fledgling St. Louis Blues in the finals during each of the next two seasons. The Canadiens missed out on a playoff spot in 1970 on the final day of the regular season, thanks to a tiebreaker. It was only a one-year interruption. The Canadiens won the Cup in1971, defeating the Black Hawks to capture yet another Stanley Cup in goaltender Ken Dryden's rookie season. Dryden had only played six regular-season games in '70-'71, but was outstanding in the playoffs.
In 1972 Scotty Bowman took over as coach. He would coach the club to five Stanley Cups, in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979. The Canadiens were led by stars such as Guy Lafleur, Cournoyer, Dryden, Frank Mahovlich's brother Pete, Steve Shutt, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson. In 1976-77 the Canadiens would set a modern-day record by only losing eight games in an 80-game season.
Most of the Canadiens' best players were retired or traded by the early 1980s (the major exceptions being Bob Gainey, Robinson, and Lafleur). They would, however, pick up star Swedish left-winger Mats Naslund, as well as Guy Carbonneau in the early 1980s. By the 1985-86 NHL season, they once again had a top goaltender in rookie Patrick Roy, and another All-Star in sophomore Chris Chelios, manning the blue line. Gainey, Carbonneau, Chelios, Naslund, Robinson and Roy would lead the Canadiens to their only Stanley Cup of the decade that season, defeating the Calgary Flames.
[edit] 1986-present — The Modern NHL
The Montreal Canadiens won their league-leading 24th (and, to date, last) Stanley Cup against the Los Angeles Kings in 1993, during the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup. That playoff season, the Canadiens won an NHL-record 10 consecutive overtime games. They also tied an NHL-record by winning 11 consecutive games in one playoff year (the record is shared by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks - both teams won 11 in a row the previous year).
But in 1995, the Canadiens missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years, and only the third time in 54 years. In December of that year, when the Canadiens lost 11-1 at home to the Detroit Red Wings, then-head coach Mario Tremblay refused to pull Patrick Roy from the net until after the ninth goal, despite the goaltender's repeated pleas. After he was pulled, Roy, approached then team president Ronald Corey and told him, "This is my last game in a Montreal Canadiens uniform."[6][7] He was traded to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche along with Mike Keane for Jocelyn Thibault, Andrei Kovalenko, and Martin Rucinsky.
On March 11, 1996, the Canadiens defeated the Dallas Stars, 4-1 in the final game at the historic Montreal Forum. The final goal at the Forum was scored by Andrei Kovalenko. The Stars were chosen as the final Forum opponent because their captain, Guy Carbonneau, and their general manager, Bob Gainey, were both former Canadien captains. Following the game, a moving closing ceremony was held, in which each living Canadiens captain, wearing an up-to-date version of the uniform with his old number on it, passed a torch, the older one to the younger one: Butch Bouchard to Maurice Richard to Jean Beliveau to Henri Richard to Yvan Cournoyer to Serge Savard to Gainey to Carbonneau to Pierre Turgeon, the then-captain. (Three living former captains were unavailable because they were still active with other teams: Mike Keane with the Avalanche, Kirk Muller with the New York Islanders, and Chris Chelios with the Chicago Blackhawks).
The team moved into the new Molson Centre (renamed Bell Centre for 2003-04) the following Saturday, defeating the New York Rangers, 4-2. However, the Canadiens missed the playoffs three straight seasons between 1999 and 2001. There was even brief talk of the team moving, especially after American investor George N. Gillett Jr. was the only interested buyer when the Molson family sold the team in 2001. After no acceptable offers came from Canadian interests, the NHL allowed Gillett to buy the team, provided that he promise to keep it in Montreal until 2021.
In the fall of 2001, it was revealed that centre Saku Koivu, who had been with the team since 1995, had cancer and would miss the season. However, he came back to win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perservance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, register two assists in the last three games and, along with the surprising strong play of goaltender Jose Theodore (who won the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy that season), inspired the team for a run to the 2002 playoffs as the final seed in the Eastern Conference. They upset the Boston Bruins in the first round, before bowing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
On November 22, 2003, the Canadiens participated in the Heritage Classic, the first outdoor hockey game in the history of the NHL. The Canadiens defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in front of more than 55,000 fans — an NHL attendance record — at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The team seemed to turn a corner at that point, and finished the season in the 7th playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The team would again play the Bruins in the playoffs, for a record 30th time. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit, the Canadiens won the final three games to again upset the Bruins. The Canadiens were swept away in second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning.
On January 13, 2006, Claude Julien was fired as coach, and replaced on an interim basis by Bob Gainey, the team's general manager. Later on in the season, Montreal starting goaltender Jose Theodore was traded to the Colorado Avalanche after numerous disappointing starts, in return for goaltender David Aebischer. The Canadiens narrowly made the playoffs, but lost in 6 games to the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes.
In the 2006-07 NHL season, Guy Carbonneau took over as head coach of the team.[8]
In December 2006, as the founder of the Montreal Canadiens, John Ambrose O'Brien was an inaugural inductee in the team's newly created 'Builders Row' in the Bell Centre. As well, the team inducted special advisor William Northey, former team president Donat Raymond and former owners Leo Dandurand, Joseph Cattarinich, Louis A. Letourneau and Senator Hartland de Montarville Molson. [9]
[edit] The near future and beyond
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The Montreal Canadiens unveiled this 100th anniversary logo to be used in 2008-09.
A major announcement about the one hundred year anniversary of Les Habs was made on October 2, 2005. On October 15 of that year, to begin the Montreal Canadiens Centennial countdown, it was announced that three more jersey numbers would be retired — Dickie Moore's and Yvan Cournoyer's number 12 on November 12 before their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the number 5 worn by Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion on March 11, 2006 prior to their contest against the New York Rangers, the other team he played for after a two-year retirement — the first since moving from "The Forum" during a "Legends Night" ceremony, with one additional number to be hoisted to the rafters in each of the three following seasons. Sadly, Geoffrion would die on the very day his number was to be retired. The retirement ceremony went ahead as planned at the request of his family.
On September 23, 2006, the Montreal Canadiens announced the retirement of number 18 for Serge Savard, on November 18, 2006, and number 29 for Ken Dryden, on January 29, 2007.[10][11] On September 5, 2007, the Canadiens announced the retirement of number 19 for Larry Robinson, on November 19, 2007, and number 23 for Bob Gainey, on February 23, 2008. The Canadiens also announced ambitious plans for their Centennial year of 2008-09, including plans to bid on hosting the World Junior Hockey Championships (which were since awarded to Ottawa), the 2009 NHL All-Star Game (which they were awarded) and the NHL Draft. On January 23, 2007, it was announced that the 2009 NHL All-Star Game would indeed be held in Montreal.[12] The team's management has pledged to be a Stanley Cup contender in time for 2009.
On April 5th 2008, it was reported in the Montreal daily newspaper, La Presse, that the Canadiens were bidding to host an outdoor game in Montreal for the 2008-2009 season. The game would have been played 3 days before All-Star weekend in Montreal and held at Molson Stadium, home of the CFL's Montreal Alouettes.[13] However, these rumors proved to be false, as it was reported by TSN that an outdoor game will be played between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, at Wrigley or Soldier Field in the Windy City.[14]
[edit] Team colours and mascot
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For more details on this topic, see History of the Montreal Canadiens.
The current team colours are red, blue and white. These colours have been used in combination since 1914. The Canadiens' famous colours are an important part of French Canadian culture. In the short story "The Hockey Sweater" by Roch Carrier a young Québécois boy is accidentally given the jersey of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. The poem was later made into an animated short; a quote from it appears on the Canadian five dollar bill.
[edit] Logo
One of sports' oldest and most recognizable logos, the classic 'C' and 'H' of the Montreal Canadiens was first used together in the 1917-18 season before evolving to its current form in 1952-53. The 'H' does not stand for 'Habs' or Habitants; this misconception stems from an error by an English language newspaper reporter in the 1950s. It actually stands for 'Hockey', as in 'Club de Hockey Canadien', the official name of the team. According to NHL.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard, owner of Madison Square Garden, in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants."[15].
[edit] Uniforms
The home jersey (traditionally called a sweater) is predominantly red in colour. There are four blue and white stripes, one across each arm, one across the chest and the other across the waist. The main road sweater is mainly white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves and the shoulders are also draped with red. The basic design has been in use since 1914. Because of the team's rich history and significance, the sweater is referred to by many as 'La sainte flanelle' (the holy flannel sweater).
[edit] Mascot
Beginning in the 2004-05 NHL season, the Canadiens adopted Youppi as their official mascot, the first in their 90+ year history. Youppi was the longtime mascot for the Montreal Expos baseball team, but was dropped from the franchise when they moved to Washington, D.C. in 2004 and became the Washington Nationals. With the switch, Youppi became the first mascot in professional sports to switch leagues.[16]
[edit] Seasons and records
[edit] Season by season results
This is a partial list of the last six seasons completed by the Canadiens. For the full season-by-season history, see Montreal Canadiens seasons
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season | GP | W | L | T1 | OTL | GF | GA | PTS | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 30 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 206 | 234 | 77 | 900 | 4th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 41 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 208 | 192 | 93 | 1039 | 4th, Northeast | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Lightning) |
| 2004-05 | Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout | ||||||||||
| 2005-061 | 82 | 42 | 31 | — | 9 | 243 | 247 | 93 | 1312 | 3rd, Northeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Hurricanes) |
| 2006-07 | 82 | 42 | 34 | — | 6 | 245 | 256 | 90 | 1119 | 4th, Northeast | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 47 | 25 | — | 10 | 262 | 222 | 104 | 1072 | 1st, Northeast | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1-4 (Flyers) |
- 1 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).
[edit] Franchise scoring leaders
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For more details on this topic, see Montreal Canadiens Records.
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
Updated at completion of 2006–2007 season
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Guy Lafleur | RW | 961 | 518 | 728 | 1246 | 1.30 |
| Jean Beliveau | C | 1125 | 507 | 712 | 1219 | 1.08 |
| Henri Richard | C | 1256 | 358 | 688 | 1046 | .83 |
| Maurice Richard | RW | 978 | 544 | 421 | 965 | .99 |
| Larry Robinson | D | 1202 | 197 | 686 | 883 | .73 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | RW | 968 | 428 | 435 | 863 | .89 |
| Jacques Lemaire | C | 853 | 366 | 469 | 835 | .98 |
| Steve Shutt | LW | 871 | 408 | 368 | 776 | .89 |
| Bernie Geoffrion | RW | 766 | 371 | 388 | 759 | .99 |
| Elmer Lach | C | 664 | 215 | 408 | 623 | .94 |
[edit] Individual records
[edit] Career
- Most Seasons: Henri Richard, 20
- Most Games: Henri Richard, 1256
- Most Goals: Maurice Richard, 544
- Most Assists: Guy Lafleur, 728
- Most Points: Guy Lafleur, 1246 (518G, 728A)
- Most Penalty Minutes: Chris Nilan, 2248
- Most Shutouts: George Hainsworth, 75
- Most Consecutive Games Played: Doug Jarvis, 560
- Most Stanley Cups: Henri Richard, 11*
[edit] Season
- Most Goals in a season: Steve Shutt & Guy Lafleur, 60 (1976-77; 1977-78)
- Most Powerplay goals in a season: Yvan Cournoyer, 20 (1966-67)
- Most Assists in a season: Pete Mahovlich, 82 (1974-75)
- Most Points in a season: Guy Lafleur, 136 (1976-77)
- Most Penalty Minutes in a season: Chris Nilan, 358 (1984-85)
- Most Points in a season, defenceman: Larry Robinson, 85 (1976-77)
- Most Points in a season, rookie: Mats Naslund; Kjell Dahlin, 71 (1982-83; 1985-86)
- Most Wins in a season: Jacques Plante; Ken Dryden, 42 (1955-56 & 1961-62; 1975-76)
- Most Shutouts in a season: George Hainsworth, 22 (1928-29)*
- Most Goals in a season, defenceman: Guy Lapointe, 28 (1974-75)
[edit] Current roster
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|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| 31 |  |
Carey Price | L | 2005 | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 41 |  |
Jaroslav Halak | L | 2003 | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia |
|
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| 3 | |
Ryan O'Byrne | R | 2003 | Victoria, British Columbia |
| 8 |  |
Mike Komisarek | R | 2001 | West Islip, New York |
| 25 | |
Mathieu Dandenault | R | 2005 | Sherbrooke, Quebec |
| 26 | |
Josh Gorges | L | 2007 | Kelowna, British Columbia |
| 32 |  |
Mark Streit | L | 2004 | Englisberg, Switzerland |
| 44 |  |
Roman Hamrlik | L | 2007 | Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia |
| 51 | |
Francis Bouillon | L | 2002 | New York, New York |
| 71 | |
Patrice Brisebois | R | 2007 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 79 |  |
Andrei Markov | L | 1998 | Voskresensk, U.S.S.R. |
|
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| 6 | |
Tom Kostopoulos | RW | R | 2007 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 11 |  |
Saku Koivu – C | C | L | 1993 | Turku, Finland |
| 14 | |
Tomas Plekanec | C | L | 2001 | Kladno, Czechoslovakia |
| 20 | |
Bryan Smolinski | C | R | 2007 | Toledo, Ohio |
| 21 | |
Christopher Higgins – A | C | L | 2002 | Smithtown, New York |
| 22 | |
Steve Begin | LW | L | 2003 | Trois-Rivieres, Quebec |
| 27 | |
Alexei Kovalev – A | RW | L | 2004 | Tolyatti, U.S.S.R. |
| 40 | |
Maxim Lapierre | C | R | 2003 | Saint-Leonard, Quebec |
| 46 |  |
Andrei Kostitsyn | LW | L | 2003 | Navapolatsk, U.S.S.R. |
| 54 | |
Mikhail Grabovski | C | L | 2004 | Potsdam, East Germany |
| 70 | |
Gregory Stewart | LW | L | 2004 | Kitchener, Ontario |
| 73 | |
Michael Ryder | RW | R | 1998 | Bonavista, Newfoundland |
| 74 | |
Sergei Kostitsyn | LW | L | 2005 | Navapolatsk, U.S.S.R. |
| 84 | |
Guillaume Latendresse | RW | L | 2005 | Sainte-Catherine, Quebec |
[edit] Leaders
[edit] Team captains
- Jack Laviolette, 1909-10
- Newsy Lalonde, 1910-11
- Jack Laviolette, 1911-12
- Newsy Lalonde, 1912-13
- Jimmy Gardner, 1913-15
- Howard McNamara, 1915-16
- Newsy Lalonde, 1916-22
- Sprague Cleghorn, 1922-25
- Billy Coutu, 1925-26
- Sylvio Mantha, 1926-32
- George Hainsworth, 1932-33
- Sylvio Mantha, 1933-36
- Albert "Babe" Siebert, 1936-39
- Walter Buswell, 1939-40
- Toe Blake, 1940-48
- Bill Durnan, 1948 (January - April)
- Emile Bouchard, 1948-56
- Maurice Richard, 1956-60
- Doug Harvey, 1960-61
- Jean Beliveau, 1961-71
- Henri Richard, 1971-75
- Yvan Cournoyer, 1975-79
- Serge Savard, 1979-81
- Bob Gainey, 1981-89
- Guy Carbonneau & Chris Chelios, 1989-90 (co-captains)
- Guy Carbonneau, 1990-94
- Kirk Muller, 1994-95
- Mike Keane, 1995 (April-December)
- Pierre Turgeon, 1995-96
- Vincent Damphousse, 1996-99
- Saku Koivu, 1999- present
[edit] Head coaches
- Jean-Baptiste "Jack" Laviolette, 1909–10
- Adolphe Lecours, 1910–11
- Napoleon Dorval, 1911-13
- James Henry "Jimmy" Gardner, 1913-15
- Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde, 1915-21
- Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde
and Leo Dandurand, 1921-22 - Leo Dandurand, 1922-26
- Cecil Hart, 1926-32
- Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde, 1932-34
- Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde
and Leo Dandurand, 1934-35 - Sylvio Mantha, 1935-36
- Cecil Hart, 1936-38
- Cecil Hart and Jules Dugal, 1938-39
- Albert "Babe" Siebert, 1939
- Alfred "Pit" Lepine, 1939-40
- Dick Irvin, 1940-55
- Hector "Toe" Blake, 1955-68
- Claude Ruel, 1968-71
- Al MacNeil, 1971
- Scotty Bowman, 1971-79
- Bernie Geoffrion, 1979
- Claude Ruel, 1979-81
- Bob Berry, 1981-84
- Jacques Lemaire, 1984-85
- Jean Perron, 1985-88
- Pat Burns, 1988-92
- Jacques Demers, 1992-95
- Mario Tremblay, 1995-97
- Alain Vigneault, 1997-00
- Michel Therrien, 2000-03
- Claude Julien, 2003-06
- Bob Gainey, 2006 (January - May) (interim coach)
- Guy Carbonneau, 2006 - present
[edit] Honoured members
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For more details on this topic, see Montreal Canadiens notable players and award winners.
[edit] Pro Hockey Hall of Famers
In the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Canadiens boast the most enshrined Hall-of-Famers with forty-two. All of their inductees are from Canada with the exception of former defenceman Joe Hall, who was from England. Thirty-six of these players are from three separate notable dynasties: 12 from 1955-1960, 11 from 1964-1969 and 13 from 1975-1979. Howie Morenz and Georges Vézina were the first Canadiens given the honour in 1945, while Patrick Roy and Dick Duff were the most recently inducted, in 2006.
[edit] Retired numbers
The Canadiens have retired thirteen numbers, by 14 players, in their history,[17] the most of any team in the National Hockey League, and the fourth highest total of any North American professional sports franchise. All of the honourees were born in Canada. Howie Morenz was the first honouree on November 2, 1937. Although not officially retired under his name, Jacques Laperriere who wore No. 2 after Doug Harvey, was present on the ice in the Montreal Forum the night the number was retired.
| Montreal Canadiens Retired Numbers | |||||
| No. | Player | Retired | No. | Player | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Plante | October 7, 1975 | 12 | Dickie Moore | November 12, 2005 |
| 2 | Doug Harvey | October 26, 1985 | 12 | Yvan Cournoyer | November 12, 2005 |
| 4 | Jean Beliveau | October 9, 1971 | 16 | Henri Richard | December 10, 1975 |
| 5 | Bernard Geoffrion | March 11, 2006 | 18 | Serge Savard | November 18, 2006 |
| 7 | Howie Morenz | November 2, 1937 | 19 | Larry Robinson | November 19, 2007 |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | October 6, 1960 | 23 | Bob Gainey | February 23, 2008 |
| 10 | Guy Lafleur | February 16, 1985 | 29 | Ken Dryden | January 29, 2007 |
[edit] References
- ^ The Complete List of Stanley Cup Champions. About.com (2007). Retrieved on 2006-02-14.
- ^ Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists. NHL.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
- ^ Molson Centre renamed Bell Centre. CBC Sports (2002). Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
- ^ The end of an era (The Montreal Forum). High Beam Research (1996). Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ Montreal Canadiens entry at Sports ECyclopedia. http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/montreal/canadiens.html
- ^ King is Dethroned; Hockey, Canadiens-style, is not without its warts. The Montreal Gazette (2001). Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
- ^ Career For The Ages. Sports Illustrated (2003). Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
- ^ Canadiens usher in Carbonneau era. MontrealCanadiens.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-05-10.
- ^ Post Game Story - Founder John Ambrose O'Brien. Club de hockey Canadien, Inc. (2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
- ^ Dryden and Savard earn ultimate tribute. Montreal Canadiens (2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
- ^ Dryden, Savard paid tribute. CBC Sports (2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
- ^ Montreal will host 2009 NHL All-Star events. NHL.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
- ^ Le CH au Stade Molson?. RDS (2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-13.
- ^ Report:Blackhawks to host next season's Winter Classic. TSN (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Why are the Montreal Canadiens called the Habs?. About.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ Canadiens adopt Youppi! as their mascot. NBC (2005). Retrieved on 2008-06-13.
- ^ Club de hockey Canadien (2008). Montreal Canadiens - History (HTML). canadiens.nhl.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
[edit] See also
- Montreal Canadiens notable players and award winners
- Montreal Junior Canadiens
- Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry
- List of Montreal Canadiens presidents
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- List of Montreal Canadiens goaltenders
