Top 10: Montréal Canadiens of all-time

[langway05]

Top 10: Canadiens of all-time

The flagship franchise of the NHL, Montreal has produced many championship teams and Hall of Fame players.

As you might imagine – and as Habs fans will be sure to quickly point out, no matter how deferential the person they’re dealing with – it’s a little bit more difficult choosing the 10 best Canadiens of all-time than it is the 10 best Canucks. So we have to thank Ken Campbell and his book Habs Heroes: The Greatest Canadiens Ever from 1 to 100, for our order of appearance today. Campbell and the learned experts he consulted listed the top 10 as follows:

10. Edouard ‘Newsy’ Lalonde, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in 1950

9. Henri Richard, HHoF 1979

8. Patrick Roy, HHoF 2006

7. Larry Robinson, HHoF 1995

6. Jacques Plante, HHoF 1978

5. Howie Morenz, HHoF 1945

4. Guy Lafleur, HHoF 1988

3. Doug Harvey, HHoF 1973

2. Jean Beliveau, HHoF 1972

1. Maurice Richard, HHoF 1961

‘The Rocket’ not only led a team, he was a cultural icon in French Canada. Richard could inspire riots as well as Quiet Revolutions and, damn, could he play. The first shooter to score 50 and 500 goals, Richard played with a fire in his belly (and in his eyes) like few before or since. He led the Canadiens’ resurgence out of the 1930s and early ’40s Cup drought known as the ‘Great Darkness’ that nearly spelled the end of the franchise altogether. In 18 years with the team he was a 14-time all-star and won eight Cups, retiring as the game’s all-time leading goal-scorer.

 

[RGM81]

These lists are always fun, and usually there's some fluidity among the top ten - you may always see those names but often in a different order.

The only 2 that are inviolate as far as order goes are The Rocket and Le Gros Bill. I don't think anybody would challenge the ranking of those two superlative gentlemen at 1-2.

It's amazing some of the names that you don't see on that list - a 60-goal scorer (Shutt), the other two-thirds of The Big Three (Lapointe & Savard), a goalie that won the Stanley Cup in 75% of the seasons in which he played (Dryden), the goalie that has a trophy named after him (Vezina), and the guy that was so good they created a trophy for him (Gainey) would likely all fit into a top ten for any other team in the League.

 

[Bossy22]

Elmer Lach also had great numbers and numerous awards. Wow they were deep!

 

[paulxing]

I can't put Roy ahead of Dryden after he quit the team. sorry.

 

[sholi2000]

I can't put Roy ahead of Dryden after he quit the team. sorry.

It sucks I know, but we have to let go of that fact. Patty was a better goalie than Kenny (that hurts to say as I love Dryden).

Henri Richard also quit the Canadiens, as did Jacques Plante, and many others.

Like Richard said. Aside from Beliveau and The Rocket, the top 10 could be produced three different times, and they would all belong on one list.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Georges?" Vezina wiped his eyes and said, "yes Leo, I'd like to go home now, and I'd like to take my Montreal sweater with me. , the one I wore during the Stanley Cup finals in '24." The coveted jersey was quickly found and handed to him.Choking with emotion, he waved goodbye to his mates and left the room, never to return.

The Habs
Brian McFarlane

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

Boom Boom and S Savard are obvious exclusions.

 

[Burner]

Really? I thought from what the other 29 teams' fans have been saying over the summer that Halak is #1 on that list easily

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

No the other 29 teams fans are just asking for him to be listed higher then Price

Really? I thought from what the other 29 teams' fans have been saying over the summer that Halak is #1 on that list easily

 

[711ofovertime]

It sucks I know, but we have to let go of that fact. Patty was a better goalie than Kenny (that hurts to say as I love Dryden).

Henri Richard also quit the Canadiens, as did Jacques Plante, and many others.

Like Richard said. Aside from Beliveau and The Rocket, the top 10 could be produced three different times, and they would all belong on one list.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Georges?" Vezina wiped his eyes and said, "yes Leo, I'd like to go home now, and I'd like to take my Montreal sweater with me. , the one I wore during the Stanley Cup finals in '24." The coveted jersey was quickly found and handed to him.Choking with emotion, he waved goodbye to his mates and left the room, never to return.

The Habs
Brian McFarlane

Please remind me how Henri Richard quit the Canadiens? I thought he retired after 20 odd years to run a bar and continued to be a team ambassador. He did not walk past the coach on national TV and demand to the Team President that he had quit the team.

 

[sprague11]

I venture to think that all things taken into consideration, 100 different lists would all have the same name as number 1.

My own list would have been Rocket, Beliveau, Lafleur, Morenz, Harvey, Plante, Roy, Henri, Lalonde, Blake.

 

[sholi2000]

Please remind me how Henri Richard quit the Canadiens? I thought he retired after 20 odd years to run a bar and continued to be a team ambassador. He did not walk past the coach on national TV and demand to the Team President that he had quit the team.

I'll look into it Ewen, I don't remember the entire story. Before my time.

EDIT- It was nothing. Henri and Coach McNeil had a fight during the 71 playoffs.

From Wikipedia

Unfortunately, MacNeil had a frosty relationship with most of the team's francophone players, most notably Henri Richard. When MacNeil benched Richard during the final series against the Black Hawks, Richard publicly criticised the coach, calling him incompetent. In game seven held at Chicago, being tied at 2-2 after the first two periods, the Canadiens scored the winning goal early in the third to take the series and the championship, with Richard scoring both the equalizer and game winner. MacNeil and Richard hugged at the end of the game, but that did little to patch up their differences. MacNeil was demoted to head coach of the Canadiens' American Hockey League affiliate, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. MacNeil won three Calder Cup Championships (1972, 1976, 1977) in six years with the Voyageurs.

 

[RGM81]

No the other 29 teams fans are just asking for him to be listed higher then Price

Isn't there a Tie Domi jersey honouring or a shiny stick presentation for Steve Thomas going on?

 

[Stadium Sports]

Isn't there a Tie Domi jersey honouring or a shiny stick presentation for Steve Thomas going on?

No, it's Russ Courtnall....

 

[Burner]

You know you've had an amazing history when Guy Lafleur is the #4 all time best player on your team!

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

Shouldn't you have reminded me how many cups the habs have won, seems the usual comeback for hab fans No need to tell me as I already know the answer I hear it enough from all the other over defensive hab fans.:beer:

Isn't there a Tie Domi jersey honouring or a shiny stick presentation for Steve Thomas going on?

 

[FASTMAX]

I know how good Robinson was but really? He is the first one I pull to put Vezina in.

 

[Burner]

I know how good Robinson was but really? He is the first one I pull to put Vezina in.

A career plus/minus of +730 puts him on any team's top 10 list.

 

[FASTMAX]

I know how good Robinson was but really? He is the first one I pull to put Vezina in.

A career plus/minus of +730 puts him on any team's top 10 list.

Maybe so, but does he have a trophy named after him? Not to knock Robinson but I feel he is the weakest link on that list and Vezina definetly deserves to be on that list.

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

That's the problem with teams like the Habs and Leafs. They have such amazing histories that its near impossible to pick a top ten. Then there are always the 10 or so that fit in after them. Its a good thing to have too many former greats :beer:

 

[c_bass22]

I know how good Robinson was but really? He is the first one I pull to put Vezina in.

5th on the all time scoring list of the Habs despite being a defenseman how can you exclude that guy??? That is just personnal opinion.

Like many said every choice can be discussed, in my opinion The Rocket, Beliveau and Lafleur are 1, 2 and 3 without any question after that the order can be different depending what your criterias are.