Montreal Canadiens

Montréal Canadiens

Founded	1909
Home ice	Bell Centre
Based in	Montreal
Colours	Red, white, blue
League	National Hockey League
Head coach	Claude Julien
General manager	Bob Gainey
Owner	George N. Gillett Jr.

The Montréal Canadiens (officially le Club de Hockey Canadien, and known as le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, The Habs, le Tricolore, les Glorieux, la Sainte-Flanelle, les Habitants, le Canadien, the Flying Frenchmen) are the oldest established National Hockey League and a member of the League's Original Six. They are based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Contents

1 Facts

2 Franchise history

2.1 1909 to 1931
2.2 1932 to 1966
2.3 1967 to 1986
2.4 1986 to Today

3 Year-by-Year Results

4 Players of Note

4.1 Hall of Famers
4.2 Current stars
4.3 Retired Numbers

5 See Also

6 External Links

Facts

Founded: 1909-1910

Arena: Bell Centre (capacity 21,273). Formerly known as Molson Centre until 2002.

Uniform colours: red, white and blue

Logo design: a C with an H in the centre (for Club de Hockey Canadien)

Motto: To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.

Played at the world famous "Montréal Forum" from 1924 to 1996

The Canadiens' junior team won the Memorial Cup in 1950, 1969, and 1970.

Montréal Canadiens Captains

Crowd Chants: "Go Habs Go", "Olé olé olé", "Halte-là, les Canadiens Sont Là

Rivals: Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins

Franchise history

With the exception of baseball's New York Yankees, no North American sports team has had as storied and as successful a history as the Montréal Canadiens. They have won 24 Stanley Cups, far more than any other team. In fact, the second most amount of Stanley Cups is held by their bitter rivals Toronto Maple Leafs, who have 13.

1909 to 1931

Before there was an NHL, there were Montréal Canadiens. They were a charter member of the league's forerunner, the National Hockey Association (NHA), in 1909. In 1916 they beat the Portland Rosebuds of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association to win their first Stanley Cup; and they returned to the finals the following season, only to lose to the Seattle Metropolitans.

The Canadiens and four other NHA team executives formed the NHL in 1917. Two years later, they once again faced Seattle for the Stanley Cup, but tragedy struck with the series tied at two games apiece: a flu epidemic hit Seattle, and star Joe Hall died. The remainder of the series was cancelled.

In addition to Hall's death, the next season they lost Joe Malone (the most frequent scorer in NHL history - had he been playing with today's schedule, he would have scored over 100 goals a season). Malone was on loan from the dormant Quebec Bulldogs, but that team returned to the ice in 1919.

With rookie Howie Morenz completing a line with veterans Aurel Joliat and Billy Boucher, the Canadiens once again reached the top in 1924, defeating both the Calgary Tigers (of the Western Canada Hockey League) and the Vancouver Maroons (of the PCHA) in a convoluted playoff format. In 1925, the Habs lost to the Victoria Cougars (now the Detroit Red Wings) in the last year of the old Western Hockey League challenging for the Stanley Cup.

The Canadiens lost goaltender Georges Vézina to tuberculosis in late 1925, and finished last in the league. The following season, the Canadiens signed a suitable replacement in George Hainsworth, who would win the newly created Vezina Trophy for best goaltender. Hainsworth would be the league's best goalie for the next few years.

But despite consistently having one of the best regular season records in the league, the Habs stumbled in the playoffs until they won their third Stanley Cup in 1930, defeating the seemingly-invincible Boston Bruins. The "Flying Frenchmen" once again beat the regular-season champion Bruins in the 1931 playoffs, then beat the Ottawa Senators to win their fourth Cup.

1932 to 1966

The Canadiens' stars (Morenz and Joliat) faded out in the early 1930s, and they had the worst record in the league by 1935-1936. Stunned by such a horrible performance, the NHL gave the Habs rights to all French Canadian players for two years. They had the second-best record in the NHL in 1936-1937, but were stunned again by Morenz's death following a devastating hit by the Chicago Blackhawks' Earl Seibert. The Canadiens were once again mired in mediocrity for several more seasons, until a team led by the Punch Line of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach lifted the Cup again in 1944 after losing only five games in the regular season.

In 1944-1945, 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. 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.

In 1957, brothers Tom and Hartland Molson purchased the team. The 1950s were by far the most successful decade for the Canadiens, and it is believed by many that the Habs of this era were 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 would become coach, and they added more of the league's great players such as Jean Béliveau, Dickie Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, goalie Jacques Plante (who, in 1959, became the first goalie to regularly wear a mask) and Maurice Richard's brother Henri.

Montréal fell into a state of unbridled love, if not obsession, with the Canadiens. At no time was this more evident than when Rocket Richard was suspended for the rest of the season in 1955 for striking an official in a game against the Detroit Red Wings. Montréalers rioted in the streets, causing millions of dollars in damage. The Canadiens had to forfeit the game, and went on to lose in the finals to the Red Wings.

In 1956 the Canadiens established a farm team in Peterborough (now known as the Peterborough Petes), which is in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League).

Despite Rocket Richard's retirement in 1960, the Canadiens looked ready to win a sixth straight Cup in 1961; but they were stunned in the playoffs by the Chicago Blackhawks in the semi-finals. The Canadiens continued to suffer (relative) playoff frustration until they won the Cup again in 1965, in Yvan Cournoyer's rookie season, and repeated in 1966. The following season, the Canadiens lost to the Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals, the last time the two hated rivals met each other in the final round.

1967 to 1986

With expansion in 1967-1968, the Canadiens handily defeated the fledgling St. Louis Blues in the finals during each of the next two seasons. It might have been a third straight, if the Canadiens hadn't missed out on a playoff spot in 1970 on the final day of the regular season, thanks to a tiebreaker (and since Toronto missed out as well, it meant the only time in NHL history no Canadian teams made the playoffs.)

The Habs were back to their winning ways in 1971, defeating the Blackhawks to capture yet another Stanley Cup in goalie Ken Dryden's rookie season (starting a career where he would average an astonishing 2 goals allowed per game), in addition to long-time Leafs' star Frank Mahovlich's first in a Canadiens' uniform. After losing in the quarter-finals to the Bruins in 1972 (Guy Lafleur's rookie season), they would once again win the Cup over Chicago in 1973.

The Canadiens were upset by the New York Rangers in the first round in 1974, and lost out to the Buffalo Sabres in the 1975 semi-finals. But in 1976, under the leadership of head coach Scotty Bowman, they set a record in the NHL by losing only eight games in an eighty game schedule and went on to win the Cup again, thwarting the Philadelphia Flyers' hopes for a third consecutive championship. The team was led by Lafleur (who was in the midst of six straight 50-goal seasons), Cournoyer, Steve Shutt, Pete Mahovlich and Larry Robinson. The Canadiens would then go on to win three more consecutive Cups to close out the 1970s.

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 1985-1986, they once again had a top goalie in rookie Patrick Roy. Roy would lead the Canadiens to their only Stanley Cup of the decade that season, defeating the Calgary Flames.

1986 to Today

The Canadiens would continue to consistently perform through the early 1990s, winning another Cup in 1993 over the Los Angeles Kings. That season, they picked up scoring threat Vincent Damphousse from the Edmonton Oilers, in addition to having forwards Kirk Muller, Brian Bellows and Stephan Lebeau - all four of whom scored more than 30 goals each during that season.

By 1995, the Canadiens disintegrated and missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. The final straw came in December of that year, when Patrick Roy allowed nine goals against the Detroit Red Wings in one game and, after head coach Mario Tremblay pulled him from the goal well after the game was out of reach, Roy approached then team president Ronald Corey and told him, "I just played my last game." Then he walked past Tremblay with a defiant look as he took his seat behind the bench. He was dealt 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 team moved into the new Molson Centre (renamed the Bell Centre in 2003) the following Saturday. Despite solid players like Pierre Turgeon, Mark Recchi, Vladimir Malakhov and Patrice Brisebois at various points in the late 1990s, the Canadiens would stumble and eventually miss the playoffs three straight seasons between 1999 and 2001. There was even small talk of the team moving, especially after American investor George N. Gillett Jr. was the team's only interested buyer when the Molson family sold it in 2001.

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 and, along with the surprising strong play of goalie Jose Theodore, inspired the team for a run to the 2002 playoffs as the final seed in the Eastern Conference. They then upset the Bruins in the first round, but lose to the cinderella 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. They defeated the 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 with 93 points. The team would again play the Bruins in the playoffs. Coming back from a 3-1 defecit, the Canadiens would win the rest of the games, including a thrilling Game 7 in Boston, to again upset the Bruins. Sadly, however, the team would run into the future Cup winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and fall in a sweep.

The 2004 lockout prevented the Canadiens from gaining on the momentum of the 2004 season, but the team's future still looks bright. In a lighter note, the team may adopt the popular former Montreal Expos mascot, "Youppi!".

Year-by-Year Results

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	GF	GA	PTS	%	Playoff Result
2003-04	82	41	30	7	4	208	192	93	.567	Lost CSF vs. Tampa Bay
2002-03	82	30	35	8	9	206	234	77	.470	Missed Playoffs
2001-02	82	36	31	12	3	207	209	87	.530	Lost CSF vs. Carolina
2000-01	82	28	40	8	6	206	232	70	.427	Missed Playoffs
1999-2000	82	35	34	9	4	196	194	83	.506	Missed Playoffs
1998-99	82	32	39	11	-	184	209	75	.457	Missed Playoffs
1997-98	82	37	32	13	-	235	208	87	.530	Lost CSF vs. Buffalo
1996-97	82	31	36	15	-	249	276	77	.470	Lost CQF vs. New Jersey
1995-96	82	40	32	10	-	265	248	90	.549	Lost CQF vs. NYR
1994-95	48	18	23	7	-	125	148	43	.448	Missed Playoffs
1993-94	84	41	29	14	-	283	248	96	.571	Lost CQF vs. Boston
1992-93	84	48	30	6	-	326	280	102	.607	Stanley Cup Champion
1991-92	80	41	28	11	-	267	207	93	.581	Lost DF vs. Boston
1990-91	80	39	30	11	-	273	249	89	.556	Lost DF vs. Boston
1989-90	80	41	28	11	-	288	234	93	.581	Lost DF vs. Boston
1988-89	80	53	18	9	-	315	218	115	.719	Lost Final vs. Calgary
1987-88	80	45	22	13	-	298	238	103	.644	Lost DF vs. Boston
1986-87	80	41	29	10	-	277	241	92	.575	Lost CF vs. Philadelphia
1985-86	80	40	33	7	-	330	280	87	.544	Stanley Cup Champion
1984-85	80	41	27	12	-	309	262	94	.588	Lost DF vs. Quebec
1983-84	80	35	40	5	-	286	295	75	.469	Lost CF vs. NYI
1982-83	80	42	24	14	-	350	286	98	.613	Lost DSF vs. Buffalo
1981-82	80	46	17	17	-	360	223	109	.681	Lost DSF vs. Quebec
1980-81	80	45	22	13	-	332	232	103	.644	Lost PR vs. Edmonton
1979-80	80	47	20	13	-	328	240	107	.669	Lost QF vs. Minnesota
1978-79	80	52	17	11	-	337	204	115	.719	Stanley Cup Champion
1977-78	80	59	10	11	-	359	183	129	.806	Stanley Cup Champion
1976-77	80	60	8	12	-	387	171	132	.825	Stanley Cup Champion
1975-76	80	58	11	11	-	337	174	127	.794	Stanley Cup Champion
1974-75	80	47	14	19	-	374	225	113	.706	Lost SF vs. Buffalo
1973-74	78	45	24	9	-	293	240	99	.635	Lost QF vs. NYR
1972-73	78	52	10	16	-	329	184	120	.769	Stanley Cup Champion
1971-72	78	46	16	16	-	307	205	108	.692	Lost QF vs. NYR
1970-71	78	42	23	13	-	291	216	97	.622	Stanley Cup Champion
1969-70	76	38	22	16	-	244	201	92	.605	Missed Playoffs
1968-69	76	46	19	11	-	271	202	103	.678	Stanley Cup Champion
1967-68	74	42	22	10	-	236	167	94	.635	Stanley Cup Champion
1966-67	70	32	25	13	-	202	188	77	.550	Lost Final vs. Toronto
1965-66	70	41	21	8	-	239	173	90	.643	Stanley Cup Champion
1964-65	70	36	23	11	-	211	185	83	.593	Stanley Cup Champion
1963-64	70	36	21	13	-	209	167	85	.607	Lost SF vs. Toronto
1962-63	70	28	19	23	-	225	183	79	.564	Lost SF vs. Toronto
1961-62	70	42	14	14	-	259	166	98	.700	Lost SF vs. Chicago
1960-61	70	41	19	10	-	254	188	92	.657	Lost SF vs. Chicago
1959-60	70	40	18	12	-	255	178	92	.657	Stanley Cup Champion
1958-59	70	39	18	13	-	258	158	91	.650	Stanley Cup Champion
1957-58	70	43	17	10	-	250	158	96	.686	Stanley Cup Champion
1956-57	70	35	23	12	-	210	155	82	.586	Stanley Cup Champion
1955-56	70	45	15	10	-	222	131	100	.714	Stanley Cup Champion
1954-55	70	41	18	11	-	228	157	93	.664	Lost Final vs. Detroit
1953-54	70	35	24	11	-	195	141	81	.579	Lost Final vs. Detroit
1952-53	70	28	23	19	-	155	148	75	.536	Stanley Cup Champion
1951-52	70	34	26	10	-	195	164	78	.557	Lost Final vs. Detroit
1950-51	70	25	30	15	-	173	184	65	.464	Lost Final vs. Toronto
1949-50	70	29	22	19	-	172	150	77	.550	Lost SF vs. NYR
1948-49	60	28	23	9	-	152	126	65	.542	Lost SF vs. Detroit
1947-48	60	20	29	11	-	147	169	51	.425	Missed Playoffs
1946-47	60	34	16	10	-	189	138	78	.650	Lost Final vs. Toronto
1945-46	50	28	17	5	-	172	134	61	.610	Stanley Cup Champion
1944-45	50	38	8	4	-	228	121	80	.800	Lost SF vs. Toronto
1943-44	50	38	5	7	-	234	109	83	.830	Stanley Cup Champion
1942-43	50	19	19	12	-	181	191	50	.500	Lost SF vs. Boston
1941-42	48	18	27	3	-	134	173	39	.406	Lost QF vs. Detroit
1940-41	48	16	26	6	-	121	147	38	.396	Lost QF vs. Chicago
1939-40	48	10	33	5	-	90	167	25	.260	Missed Playoffs
1938-39	48	15	24	9	-	115	146	39	.406	Lost QF vs. Detroit
1937-38	48	18	17	13	-	123	128	49	.510	Lost QF vs. Chicago
1936-37	48	24	18	6	-	115	111	54	.563	Lost SF vs. Detroit
1935-36	48	11	26	11	-	82	123	33	.344	Missed Playoffs
1934-35	48	19	23	6	-	110	145	44	.458	Lost QF vs. NYR
1933-34	48	22	20	6	-	99	101	50	.625	Lost QF vs. Chicago
1932-33	48	18	25	5	-	92	115	41	.427	Lost QF vs. NYR
1931-32	48	25	16	7	-	128	111	57	.594	Lost SF vs. NYR
1930-31	44	26	10	8	-	129	89	60	.682	Stanley Cup Champion
1929-30	44	21	14	9	-	142	114	51	.580	Stanley Cup Champion
1928-29	44	22	7	15	-	71	43	59	.670	Lost SF vs. Boston
1927-28	44	26	11	7	-	116	48	59	.670	Lost SF vs. Mtl. Maroons
1926-27	44	28	14	2	-	99	67	58	.659	Lost SF vs. Ottawa
1925-26	36	11	24	1	-	79	108	23	.319	Missed Playoffs
1924-25	30	17	11	2	-	93	56	36	.600	Lost Final vs. Victoria
1923-24	24	13	11	0	-	59	48	26	.542	Stanley Cup Champion
1922-23	24	13	9	2	-	73	61	28	.583	Lost NHL Final vs. Ottawa
1921-22	24	12	11	1	-	88	94	25	.521	Missed Playoffs
1920-21	24	13	11	0	-	112	99	26	.542	Missed Playoffs
1919-20	24	13	11	0	-	129	113	26	.542	Missed Playoffs
1918-19	18	10	8	0	-	88	78	20	.556	Reached Final, No Decision¹
1917-18	22	13	9	0	-	115	84	26	.591	Lost NHL Final vs. Toronto

1. The 1919 Stanley Cup Final was suspended after five games due to the Spanish Flu pandemic.

Abbreviations: GP - Games Played; W - Wins; L - Losses; T - Ties; OTL - Overtime Losses; GF - Goals For; GA - Goals Against; PTS - Points; CQF - Conference Quarter Final; CSF - Conference Semi-Final; CF - Conference Final; DSF - Division Semi-Final; DF - Division Final; QF - Quarter Final; SF - Semi-Final; PR - Preliminary Round.

Players of Note

Hall of Famers

Future Hall of Famers:

Not to be forgotten:

Infamous Players:

Billy Coutu: First player banned from the NHL for life

Maurice Richard: Suspended remainder of season, resulting in a riot.

Current stars

Retired Numbers

1 Jacques Plante
2 Doug Harvey
4 Jean Béliveau (Number was also worn by Aurel Joliat)
7 Howie Morenz
9 Maurice Richard
10 Guy Lafleur
16 Henri Richard (Number was also worn by Elmer Lach)
99 Wayne Gretzky (retired league-wide by the NHL)

External Links

Montréal Canadiens official web site (http://www.canadiens.com/english/)
World Wide Habs Fans Community (http://www.habsworld.net/)

National Hockey League
Current Teams : Anaheim \| Atlanta \| Boston \| Buffalo \| Calgary \| Carolina \| Chicago \| Colorado \| Columbus \| Dallas \| Detroit \| Edmonton \| Florida \| Los Angeles \| Minnesota \| Montreal \| Nashville \| New Jersey \| NY Islanders \| NY Rangers \| Ottawa \| Philadelphia \| Phoenix \| Pittsburgh \| San Jose \| St. Louis \| Tampa Bay \| Toronto \| Vancouver \| Washington
Trophies and Awards: Stanley Cup \| Prince of Wales \| Clarence S. Campbell \| Presidents' Trophy \| Art Ross \| Bill Masterton \| Calder \| Conn Smythe \| Hart \| Norris \| King Clancy \| Lady Byng \| Lester B. Pearson Award \| Rocket Richard \| Plus/Minus \| Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award \| Jennings \| Vezina
Related Articles: AHL \| ECHL \| WHA \| World Cup

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National Hockey League
Current Teams : Anaheim \| Atlanta \| Boston \| Buffalo \| Calgary \| Carolina \| Chicago \| Colorado \| Columbus \| Dallas \| Detroit \| Edmonton \| Florida \| Los Angeles \| Minnesota \| Montreal \| Nashville \| New Jersey \| NY Islanders \| NY Rangers \| Ottawa \| Philadelphia \| Phoenix \| Pittsburgh \| San Jose \| St. Louis \| Tampa Bay \| Toronto \| Vancouver \| Washington
Trophies and Awards: Stanley Cup \| Prince of Wales \| Clarence S. Campbell \| Presidents' Trophy \| Art Ross \| Bill Masterton \| Calder \| Conn Smythe \| Hart \| Norris \| King Clancy \| Lady Byng \| Lester B. Pearson Award \| Rocket Richard \| Plus/Minus \| Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award \| Jennings \| Vezina
Related Articles: AHL \| ECHL \| WHA \| World Cup