Montreal Canadiens

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Le club de hockey Canadien
Montreal Canadiens
Le club de hockey CanadienMontreal Canadiens
Conference Eastern
Division Northeast
Founded 1909
History Montreal Canadiens
1909-10-present
Arena Le Centre Bell/Bell Centre
City Montreal, Quebec
Local Media Affiliates English
CJAD (800 AM)
French
RDS
CKAC (730 AM)
Team Colours Red, White, and Blue
Owner George N. Gillett, Jr.
General Manager Bob Gainey,
Pierre Gauthier (acting)
Head Coach Guy Carbonneau
Captain Saku Koivu
Minor League Affiliates Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL)
Stanley Cups 1915-16, 1923-24, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1943-44, 1945-46, 1952-53, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1970-71, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1985-86, 1992-93
Conference Championships 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1992-93
Division Championships 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1936-37, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1991-92

The Montreal Canadiens are the oldest established National Hockey League (NHL) franchise. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the Canadiens are one of the NHL's 'Original Six' franchises. The team has won twenty-four Stanley Cups, the most championships by any team in the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens play their home games at the Bell Centre, previously named Molson Centre. Former homes of the team were Jubilee Rink, Montreal Westmount Arena, Mount Royal Arena and the Montreal Forum.

When taken on a percentage basis, i.e.: championships won versus the years that a particular sport's championship has been available for competition; as of the end of 2006, the Canadiens are the most historically successful major pro sports team in North America, with a 27.3% winning percentage in NHL Stanley Cup play-the Boston Celtics of the NBA are in second place with a 26.7% figure, with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball in third place at 25.2%.

The franchise is officially known as Le Club de Hockey Canadien, but is usually referred to in French as "Les Canadiens de Montréal" and in English as "Montreal Canadiens". French nicknames for the team include Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge, Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux, Les Habitants, and Le Grand Club. The team jersey is referred to as La Sainte-Flanelle (the holy sweater). In English, the main nicknames are the Habs and (usually historically) The Flying Frenchmen. The Montreal Canadiens are the most recent Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, in 1992-93.

Contents

[edit] Franchise history

Logo appearing on 1910 Habs jersey.
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Logo appearing on 1910 Habs jersey.

With the exception of baseball's New York Yankees (26 World Series’), no North American sports team has won as many professional sports titles as the Montreal Canadiens,[1] the oldest team in professional hockey.[2] They have won 24 Stanley Cups, eleven more than the team with the next largest number – the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens and the Maple Leafs are long-time rivals. From 1938-70, they were the only two Canadian teams in the NHL [2], and so in the eyes of hockey fans they became representatives of French and English Canada. [3], which fueled their rivalry.

In the 1970s, the Boston Bruins began a strong rivalry with the Canadiens as a result of their almost annual playoff encounters. After the merger of the World Hockey Association into the NHL in 1979, the former Quebec Nordiques were also bitter rivals of the Canadiens, and their matchups came to be known as "The Battle of Quebec" [4].

[edit] 1910-32: The Early National Hockey League

Logo worn from 1913-17.
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Logo worn from 1913-17.

Before there was an NHL, there was a Montreal Canadiens team. They were founded by mining heir and Ottawa sportsman J. Ambrose O'Brien as a charter member of the league's forerunner, the National Hockey Association (NHA). O'Brien wanted to put together a team of French-Canadian players to rival the city's then-dominant team, the Montreal Wanderers. The team, officially known as the Club Athletique-Canadien, took the ice for the first time on January 5, 1910, defeating the Cobalt Silver Kings 7-6 before 3,000 fans at the Jubilee Arena. Jack Laviolette was the team's first coach and general manager, as well as its star defenceman.

Following the season, the team was sold to promoter and wrestler George Kennedy, who merged the team with the Haileybury Hockey Club. He also changed the team's main colour from blue to red.

The 1914-15 NHA season was the Canadiens' first in their famous red sweaters with a blue stripe across the middle and a red "C" inside the stripe. The only difference between these uniforms and today's was that the "C" was interlocked with an "A."

In 1916 the Canadiens 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 next year, the Canadiens adopted the first version of their current logo.

Logo used (1917-19, 1921-22)
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Logo used (1917-19, 1921-22)

The Canadiens and four other NHA teams pulled out of the NHA to form the NHL in 1917. This stemmed from a long-running dispute with Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone. Kennedy and his allies had the votes to throw Livingstone out of the league, but rather than risk a long court battle, they simply created a new league and left Livingstone in the NHA all by himself. Kennedy was the dominant force in the new NHL; he not only controlled the Canadiens but had loaned Tommy Gorman the money he needed to purchase the then-troubled Ottawa Senators. 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 in January 1918. During this season, Joe Malone scored 44 goals--a record that would last for 27 years. Longtime goaltender Georges Vezina notched the league's first shutout, blanking the Toronto Arenas 9-0 on February 18. They finished in a first-place tie with the Arenas, but lost a 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 many players on both teams fell sick. On the day of the deciding fifth game, nearly every player on the Canadiens was either hospitalized or confined to bed. With most of his other players either overseas or frozen in critical jobs due to World War I, Kennedy could not find any replacements. PCHA president Frank Patrick vetoed a request to use players from the Victoria Cougars. The last game was cancelled, and Kennedy then offered to forfeit the series--and the Cup--to the Metropolitans. However, Seattle coach Pete Muldoon felt it wouldn't be fair to accept the victory under the circumstances. As a result, the 1919 series is officially listed as a no-decision. Player-coach Newsy Lalonde was sick for over a month after the series, and star forward Joe Hall died five days after the series was abandoned.

In addition to Hall's death, the next season they lost Malone, the league's leading scorer. Malone had been on loan from the dormant Quebec Bulldogs, but that team returned to the ice in 1919-20.

In the summer of 1919, the Jubilee Rink burned down, and the Canadiens built Mount Royal Arena as a replacement

Kennedy died in 1921; he had never recovered from the 1919 flu bug. His widow sold the team to Leo Dandurand, former player Joe Cattarinch and Louis Letourneau.

With rookie Howie Morenz completing a line between 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.

Logo used (1919-21)
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Logo used (1919-21)

The Canadiens lost Vezina 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, which was awarded to the goalie who allowed the fewest goals scored. Hainsworth would be the winner of that prize for the next few years.

The 1926-27 season was the Canadiens' first in the Montreal Forum. They moved there full-time due to constant problems getting acceptable ice at the Mount Royal Arena.

Generally, however, the Habs stumbled in the playoffs until they won their third Stanley Cup in 1930, defeating the seemingly invincible Boston Bruins (who had lost a mere six games in a 44-game schedule). The "Flying Frenchmen" once again beat the regular-season champion Bruins in the 1931 playoffs, then beat the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Black Hawks to win their fourth Cup.

[edit] 1932-67: The end of Morenz and the Original Six

Logo used (1926-53)
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Logo used (1926-53)

The Canadiens' stars (Morenz and Joliat) faded out in the early 1930s, and they had the worst record in the league by the 1935-36 NHL season. 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 1936-37, but were stunned by the death of Morenz on March 8, 1937 at the age of 34. On January 28, 1937 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.

The Canadiens were once again mired in mediocrity for several more seasons, and by the spring of 1940, a horrendous 10-win season caused talk that they might fold. An unlikely saviour arrived in the form of Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe. The Depression had already claimed several teams, and Smythe felt that the league might not have been able to survive the loss of its oldest franchise. He persuaded the 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.

Irvin didn't take long to turn the Canadiens around. His 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. The sophomore Richard proved he was not "small, fragile and too brittle for the National Hockey League", as coach Dick Irvin, after Richard's rookie year, concernedly voiced. If anything, he was Morenz's successor as one of hockey's preeminent superstars. Like Morenz, Richard was a great goal-scoring forward — and both Richard and Morenz were quite physical. Richard, in fact, became the first NHL player to hit 1000 career penalty minutes.

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 invigourated in the 1946 playoffs, winning their sixth Stanley Cup. But in 1947, despite Rocket Richard winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player, the Habs lost in the Stanley Cup Final against the nemesis Maple Leafs.

In 1957, brothers Tom and Hartland Molson, owners of the Molson brewery, 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 succeeded Irvin as coach in 1955, and they added more of the league's great players such as Jean Béliveau (nicknamed Le Gros Bill), Dickie "Digger" Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, goalie Jacques Plante (who, in 1959, became the first goalie to regularly wear a mask on November 1 in a 3-1 win at the New York Rangers, but not without some resistance, even from coach Toe Blake), "Rocket" Richard, and his younger brother, Henri, who became known as the "Pocket Rocket" — many thought the Habs were merely placating the elder Richard when his brother was signed.

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, for assaulting an official in the aftermath of a stick fight in a game against the Bruins. Montrealers rioted in the streets at the following game (on March 17, at home versus the Detroit Red Wings), 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. The previous year, the Habs had also fallen at the hands of the Red Wings, when Harvey (considered one of the best defencemen of all time) redirected a clearing attempt by the Red Wings' Tony Leswick into the Montreal net past Canadiens goalie Gerry McNeil. In 1956 the Canadiens established a "farm team" in Peterborough, Ontario, now the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League.

Despite Rocket Richard's retirement in 1960, the Canadiens looked ready to win yet another, a sixth straight Cup in 1961; but they were stunned in the playoffs by the Chicago Blackhawks (who eventually won the Stanley Cup behind the goal-producing genius of left-winger Bobby Hull) 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.

[edit] 1967-86: Expansion era

Canada's centennial year of 1967 was momentous for the country, but more importantly the city of Montreal. A world's fair, Expo '67 was set for Montreal, and the Canadiens promised to deliver the Stanley Cup to the Quebec Pavillion of the Canadian Showcase. The Stanley Cup final that year pitted the Canadiens against the Maple Leafs. Montreal was an overwhelming favorite, especially since Toronto featured two 30+-year-old goaltenders, Terry Sawchuk and Johnny Bower. However the Leafs won in a surprising upset, and instead of displaying the Cup in the Quebec Pavillion, the Habs had to watch the Leafs parade the Cup in downtown Toronto.

The Leafs have never been to the final since then, and with expansion in 1968, 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. This led to an unusual incident in which, since the Canadiens would make the playoffs if they scored five or more goals in their final game regardless of the outcome, Montreal coach Claude Ruel pulled his goaltender with eight minutes remaining against the Black Hawks with Chicago leading 5-3. Chicago tallied three empty net goals, but Montreal failed to score again. Since Toronto missed out as well, it meant both the only time in NHL history no Canadian teams made the playoffs as well as the only time between 1948 and 1995 that Montreal missed the playoffs, an unprecedented stretch of nearly 50 seasons.

Quickly, though, the Habs got back to their winning ways in 1971, defeating the Black Hawks to capture yet another Stanley Cup in goalie Ken Dryden's rookie season (starting a career where he would average an astonishing two goals allowed per game), in addition to long-time Leafs' star Frank Mahovlich's first in a Canadiens uniform. After 1969-70, captain Jean Béliveau, who retired in 1971, had only stayed on for the one last season at the insistence of General Manager Sam Pollock, who knew there had to be a veteran leader in Montreal.

Dryden had only played six regular-season games in '70-'71, but Al MacNeil, who had replaced Ruel midway through the season, made wise choice in sticking with Dryden -- who had had a perfect record in those six games and a 1.65 GAA -- as the Habs dispatched the mighty Bruins in the first round. Despite his Cup triumph, MacNeil resigned amidst accusations that he showed favourtism toward the Habs' English-speaking players, including an ongoing disupute with Henri Richard.

After losing in the quarter-finals to the New York Rangers in 1972 (Guy Lafleur's rookie season as well as Dryden's official one), they would once again win the Cup over Chicago in 1973.

Dryden would sit out the 1973-74 season in a contract dispute, although the offical line was that he was completing his law degree. The Canadiens were upset by the Rangers in the first round in 1974, and would lose out to the Buffalo Sabres in the semi-finals in 1975. In 1976, under the leadership of head coach Scotty Bowman, they went on to win the Cup again, thwarting the Philadelphia Flyers' hopes for a third consecutive championship. The series was widely hailed as a victory for skilled play over the thuggish tactics of the "Broad Street Bullies". The team was led by Lafleur (who was in the midst of six straight 50-goal seasons, the league's first ever six-consecutive-time 50-goal and 100-point scorer), Cournoyer, Dryden, Frank Mahovlich's brother Pete, Steve Shutt, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson (the last three of whom a powerful triumvirate of All-Star defencemen dubbed "The Big Three"). In 1976-77 the Canadiens would set a modern-day record by only losing eight games in an 80-game season. The Canadiens would then go on to win three more consecutive Cups to close out the 1970s.

The Canadiens nearly scuttled the deal between the NHL and World Hockey Association in which four WHA teams--the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes), Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques (now the Colorado Avalanche) and Winnipeg Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes)--were due to join the NHL. The Canadiens, along with the NHL's other two Canadian teams (the Leafs and Vancouver Canucks) were not pleased at the prospect of splitting television revenue with three new teams. A boycott of Molson products was staged in Edmonton and Winnipeg, although it is debatable what if any effect it had.

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 goalie in rookie Patrick Roy, and another All-Star in sophomore Chris Chelios, manning the blue line. 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 Habs won their 24th (and, to date, last) Stanley Cup against the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. But in 1995, the Canadiens missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 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 goalie'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."[5][6] 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.[citation needed] 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 Béliveau 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.

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, sportmanship and dedication to hockey, register two assists in the last three games and, along with the surprising strong play of goalie 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. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit, with the superb plays of Alexei Kovalev, the Canadiens won the final three games, to again upset the Bruins.

On September 16, prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, the Canadiens announced that they had adopted "Youppi!", the popular former Montreal Expos mascot who was left behind when the Expos became the Washington Nationals and moved to Washington D.C.[7] This is the first time the Canadiens have had a mascot in their 90+ year history.

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 goalie José Théodore was traded to the Colorado Avalanche after numerous disappointing starts, in return for goalie David Aebischer. The Canadiens narrowly made the playoffs, but lost in 6 games to the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes.

Guy Carbonneau has taken over as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens for the 2006-07 season.[8]

[edit] The near future and beyond

The Montreal Canadiens unveiled this 100th anniversary logo to be used in 2008-09.
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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 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.

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. [9] [10].

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 NHL Draft, and the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, all to be held at the Bell Centre, although it has been widely expected that the Phoenix Coyotes are scheduled to receive the honour of hosting the NHL All-Star Game, because of the cancelled 2006 event due to the 2006 Winter Olympics.

For most of the 2006 free-agent market, the Habs were inactive until they eventually acquired wingers Sergei Samsonov and Mike Johnson, via free agency from the Oilers and via a trade with the Coyotes, respectively. They lost Jan Bulis to the Vancouver Canucks via free agency and then traded Richard Zednik back to the Washington Capitals (Zednik had been traded along with Bulis to the Canadiens in 2000 for Dainius Zubrus and Trevor Linden).

[edit] Season-by-season record

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

Records as of August 21, 2006. [11]

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA PTS PIM Finish Playoffs
1915-16 First ever Stanley Cup (in the NHA.)
1916-17 (last NHA season).
1917-18 22 13 9 0 115 84 26 1st, NHL Lost in NHL Finals, 7-10 (TG) (Arenas)
1918-19 18 10 8 0 88 78 20 257 2nd, NHL Tied1 in Finals, 2-2 (Metropolitans)
1919-20 24 13 11 0 129 113 26 221 2nd, NHL Did not qualify
1920-21 24 13 11 0 112 99 26 315 3rd, NHL Did not qualify
1921-22 24 12 11 1 88 94 25 174 3rd, NHL Did not qualify
1922-23 24 13 9 2 73 61 28 174 2nd, NHL Lost in NHL Finals (Senators)
1923-24 24 13 11 0 59 48 26 144 2nd, NHL Stanley Cup Champions, 2-0 (Maroons), 2-0 (Tigers)
1924-25 30 17 11 2 93 56 36 371 3rd, NHL Lost in Finals, 8-16 (TG) (Cougars)
1925-26 36 11 24 1 79 108 23 458 7th, NHL Did not qualify
1926-27 44 28 14 2 99 67 58 395 2nd, Canadian Won in Quarterfinals, 2-1 (TG) (Maroons)
Lost in Semifinals, 1-5 (TG) (Senators)
1927-28 44 26 11 7 116 48 59 496 1st, Canadian Lost in Semifinals, 2-3 (TG) (Maroons)
1928-29 44 22 7 15 71 43 59 465 1st, Canadian Lost in Semifinals, 0-3 (Bruins)
1929-30 44 21 14 9 142 114 51 600 1st, Canadian Won in Quarterfinals, 3-2 (TG) (Black Hawks)
Won in Semifinals, 2-0 (Rangers)
Stanley Cup Champions, 2-0 (Bruins)
1930-31 44 26 10 8 129 89 60 602 1st, Canadian Won in Semifinals, 3-2 (Bruins)
Stanley Cup Champions, 3-2 (Black Hawks)
1931-32 48 25 16 7 128 111 57 450 1st, Canadian Lost in Semifinals, 1-3 (Rangers)
1932-33 48 18 25 5 92 115 41 468 3rd, Canadian Lost in Quarterfinals, 5-8 (TG) (Rangers)
1933-34 48 22 20 6 99 101 50 308 2nd, Canadian Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (TG) (Black Hawks)
1934-35 48 19 23 6 110 145 44 314 3rd, Canadian Lost in Quarterfinals, 5-6 (TG) (Rangers)
1935-36 48 11 26 11 82 123 33 317 4th, Canadian Did not qualify
1936-37 48 24 18 6 115 111 54 298 1st, Canadian Lost in Semifinals, 2-3 (Red Wings)
1937-38 48 18 17 13 123 128 49 340 3rd, Canadian Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-2 (Black Hawks)
1938-39 48 15 24 9 115 146 39 294 6th, NHL Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-2 (Red Wings)
1939-40 48 10 33 5 90 167 25 338 7th, NHL Did not qualify
1940-41 48 16 26 6 121 147 38 435 6th, NHL Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-2 (Black Hawks)
1941-42 48 18 27 3 134 173 39 504 6th, NHL Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-2 (Red Wings)
1942-43 50 19 19 12 181 191 50 318 4th, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Bruins)
1943-44 50 38 5 7 234 109 83 557 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Maple Leafs)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-0 (Black Hawks)
1944-45 50 38 8 4 228 121 80 376 1st, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Maple Leafs)
1945-46 50 28 17 5 172 134 61 337 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Black Hawks)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Bruins)
1946-47 60 34 16 10 189 138 78 561 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Bruins)
Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Maple Leafs)
1947-48 60 20 29 11 147 169 51 724 5th, NHL Did not qualify
1948-49 60 28 23 9 152 126 65 782 3rd, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 3-4 (Red Wings)
1949-50 70 29 22 19 172 150 77 736 2nd, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 3-4 (Red Wings)
1950-51 70 25 30 15 173 184 65 835 3rd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (Red Wings)
Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Maple Leafs)
1951-52 70 34 26 10 195 164 78 661 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-3 (Bruins)
Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Red Wings)
1952-53 70 28 23 19 155 148 75 777 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-3 (Black Hawks)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Bruins)
1953-54 70 35 24 11 195 141 81 1064 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Bruins)
Lost in Finals, 3-4 (Red Wings)
1954-55 70 41 18 11 228 157 93 890 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Bruins)
Lost in Finals, 3-4 (Red Wings)
1955-56 70 45 15 10 222 131 100 977 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Rangers)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Red Wings)
1956-57 70 35 23 12 210 155 82 870 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Rangers)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Bruins)
1957-58 70 43 17 10 250 158 96 945 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Red Wings)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Bruins)
1958-59 70 39 18 13 258 158 91 760 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (Black Hawks)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Maple Leafs)
1959-60 70 40 18 12 255 178 92 756 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Black Hawks)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-0 (Maple Leafs)
1960-61 70 41 19 10 254 188 92 811 1st, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Black Hawks)
1961-62 70 42 14 14 259 166 98 818 1st, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Black Hawks)
1962-63 70 28 19 23 225 183 79 751 3rd, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Maple Leafs)
1963-64 70 36 21 13 209 167 85 982 1st, NHL Lost in Semifinals, 3-4 (Maple Leafs)
1964-65 70 36 23 11 211 185 83 1033 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (Maple Leafs)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-3 (Black Hawks)
1965-66 70 41 21 8 239 173 90 884 1st, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Maple Leafs)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Red Wings)
1966-67 70 32 25 13 202 188 77 879 2nd, NHL Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Rangers)
Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Maple Leafs)
1967-68 74 42 22 10 236 167 94 700 1st, East Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Bruins)
Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Black Hawks)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-0 (Blues)
1968-69 76 46 19 11 271 202 103 780 1st, East Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Rangers)
Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (Bruins)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-0 (Blues)
1969-70 76 38 22 16 244 201 92 892 5th, East Did not qualify
1970-71 78 42 23 13 291 216 97 1271 3rd, East Won in Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Bruins)
Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (North Stars)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-3 (Black Hawks)
1971-72 78 46 16 16 307 205 108 783 3rd, East Lost in Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Rangers)
1972-73 78 52 10 16 329 184 120 783 1st, East Won in Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Sabres)
Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Flyers)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Black Hawks)
1973-74 78 45 24 9 293 240 99 761 2nd, East Lost in Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Rangers)
1974-75 80 47 14 19 374 225 113 1155 1st, Norris Won in Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Canucks)
Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Sabres)
1975-76 80 58 11 11 337 174 127 977 1st, Norris Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Black Hawks)
Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Islanders)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-0 (Flyers)
1976-77 80 60 8 12 387 171 132 764 1st, Norris Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Blues)
Won in Semifinals, 4-2 (Islanders)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-0 (Bruins)
1977-78 80 59 10 11 359 183 129 745 1st, Norris Won in Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Red Wings)
Won in Semifinals, 4-0 (Maple Leafs)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Bruins)
1978-79 80 52 17 11 337 204 115 803 1st, Norris Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Maple Leafs)
Won in Semifinals, 4-3 (Bruins)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Rangers)
1979-80 80 47 20 13 328 240 107 874 1st, Norris Won in Preliminary Round, 3-0 (Whalers)
Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (North Stars)
1980-81 80 45 22 13 332 232 103 1398 1st, Norris Lost in Preliminary Round, 0-3 (Oilers)
1981-82 80 46 17 17 360 223 109 1463 1st, Norris Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-3 (Nordiques)
1982-83 80 42 24 14 350 286 98 1116 2nd, Adams Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Sabres)
1983-84 80 35 40 5 286 295 75 1371 4th, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 3-0 (Bruins)
Won in Division Finals, 4-2 (Nordiques)
Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Islanders)
1984-85 80 41 27 12 309 262 94 1464 1st, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 3-2 (Bruins)
Lost in Division Finals, 3-4 (Nordiques)
1985-86 80 40 33 7 330 280 87 1372 2nd, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 3-0 (Bruins)
Won in Division Finals, 4-3 (Whalers)
Won in Conference Finals, 4-1 (Rangers)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Flames)
1986-87 80 41 29 10 277 241 92 1802 2nd, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-0 (Bruins)
Won in Division Finals, 4-3 (Nordiques)
Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Flyers)
1987-88 80 45 22 13 298 238 103 1830 1st, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-2 (Whalers)
Lost in Division Finals, 1-4 (Bruins)
1988-89 80 53 18 9 315 218 115 1537 1st, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-0 (Whalers)
Won in Division Finals, 4-1 (Bruins)
Won in Conference Finals, 4-2 (Flyers)
Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Flames)
1989-90 80 41 28 11 288 234 93 1590 3rd, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-2 (Sabres)
Lost in Division Finals, 1-4 (Bruins)
1990-91 80 39 30 11 273 249 89 1425 2nd, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-2 (Sabres)
Lost in Division Finals, 3-4 (Bruins)
1991-92 80 41 28 11 267 207 93 1556 1st, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-3 (Whalers)
Lost in Division Finals, 0-4 (Bruins)
1992-93 84 48 30 6 326 280 102 1788 3rd, Adams Won in Division Semifinals, 4-2 (Nordiques)
Won in Division Finals, 4-0 (Sabres)
Won in Conference Finals, 4-1 (Islanders)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4-1 (Kings)
1993-94 84 41 29 14 283 248 96 1524 3rd, Northeast Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Bruins)
1994-952 48 18 23 7 125 148 43 840 6th, Northeast Did not qualify
1995-96 82 40 32 10 265 248 90 1847 3rd, Northeast Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Rangers)
1996-97 82 31 36 15 249 276 77 1469 4th, Northeast Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Devils)
1997-98 82 37 32 13 235 208 87 1547 4th, Northeast Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Penguins)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Sabres)
1998-99 82 32 39 11 184 209 75 1299 5th, Northeast Did not qualify
1999-00 82 35 34 9 4 196 194 83 1067 4th, Northeast Did not qualify
2000-01 82 28 40 8 6 206 232 70 1020 5th, Northeast Did not qualify
2001-02 82 36 31 12 3 207 209 87 974 4th, Northeast Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Bruins)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Hurricanes)
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 Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Bruins)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Lightning)
2004-053
2005-064 82 42 31 9 243 247 93 1312 3rd, Northeast Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Hurricanes)
2006-07 26 15 8 3 80 74 33 416
Totals 5648 2903 1870 837 38 18592 15089 6681 70320

TG = Total Goals

1 The 1918-19 Stanley Cup Final was suspended after five games due to the Spanish Flu Pandemic.
2 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
3 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
4 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).



[edit] Current roster

As of December 3, 2006. [1]

Goaltenders
# Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth
30 Switzerland David Aebischer L 2006 Fribourg, Switzerland
39 France Cristobal Huet L 2004 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
Defencemen
# Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
6 Finland Janne Niinimaa L 2006 Raahe, Finland
8 United States Mike Komisarek R 2001 West Islip, New York
25 Canada Mathieu Dandenault R 2005 Sherbrooke, Quebec
32 Switzerland Mark Streit L 2004 Englisberg, Switzerland
44 Canada Sheldon Souray - A L 2000 Elk Point, Alberta
51 United States Francis Bouillon L 2002 New York City, New York
52 Canada Craig Rivet - A R 1992 North Bay, Ontario
79 Russia Andrei Markov L 1998 Voskresensk, U.S.S.R.
Forwards
# Player Position Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
11 Finland Saku Koivu - C C L 1993 Turku, Finland
14 Czech Republic Radek Bonk C L 2004 Krnov, Czechoslovakia
15 Russia Sergei Samsonov LW R 2006 Moscow, U.S.S.R.
20 Canada Mike Johnson RW R 2006 Scarborough, Ontario
21 United States Christopher Higgins (IR) LW L 2002 Smithtown, New York
22 Canada Steve Bégin C L 2003 Trois-Rivières, Quebec
27 Russia Alexei Kovalev RW L 2004 Togliatti, U.S.S.R.
35 Czech Republic Tomas Plekanec LW L 2001 Kladno, Czechoslovakia
42 Russia Alexander Perezhogin RW L 2001 Ust-Kamenogorsk, U.S.S.R.
47 Canada Aaron Downey RW R 2006 Shelburne, Ontario
57 Canada Garth Murray C L 2005 Regina, Saskatchewan
73 Canada Michael Ryder RW R 1998 Bonavista, Newfoundland
84 Canada Guillaume Latendresse RW L 2005 Sainte-Catherine, Quebec

[edit] Team captains


[edit] Hall of Famers


[edit] Retired numbers

  • 99 Wayne Gretzky, C, 1979-99 (Retired NHL wide, though a banner doesn't hang in the rafters of the Bell Centre)

[edit] First-round draft picks


[edit] Franchise scoring leaders

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; * = current Canadiens player

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] NHL awards and trophies

Stanley Cup

Prince of Wales Trophy

Art Ross Trophy

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

Calder Memorial Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy

Frank J. Selke Trophy

Hart Memorial Trophy

Jack Adams Award

James Norris Memorial Trophy

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

Lester B. Pearson Award

Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award

Vezina Trophy

William M. Jennings Trophy


[edit] Franchise individual records

[edit] Miscellaneous

[edit] Infamous moments

[edit] Motto

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stanley Cup Notebook (English). National Hockey League. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  2. ^ a b National Hockey League (1999). National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2000. Toronto, Ontario: Total Sports Canada, 608. ISBN 0-920445-63-2.
  3. ^ Irvin, Dick (2001). My 26 Stanley Cups: memories of a hockey life. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart, 292. ISBN 0-7710-4370-8.
  4. ^ The Battle of Quebec (English). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  5. ^ Red Fisher, The Montreal Gazette, "King is Dethroned; Hockey, Canadiens-style, is not without its warts", republished on CNNSI.com, Say It Ain't So: Montreal Canadiens
  6. ^ Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, "King No More", republished on CNNSI.com, Career for the ages
  7. ^ Canadiens.com, Youppi! finds a new home
  8. ^ Canadiens.com, Canadiens usher in Carbonneau era
  9. ^ Almela, Manny (2006-09-20). Dryden and Savard earn ultimate tribute. Montreal Canadiens. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  10. ^ Dryden, Savard paid tribute. CBC Sports (2006-09-20).
  11. ^ Hockeydb.com, Montreal Canadiens season statistics and records.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links