Round five was a total domination by Doug Harvey, the man who won the Norris Trophy seven times. In fact, there’s only one player in the history of the league that won more trophies as the league’s best defenceman, and that’s Bobby Orr.
Doug Harvey was a pioneer. As one of the very first puck moving defenders in the NHL, Harvey’s style of play challenged the conventional notion that defenseman were only there to play defence. That isn’t to say he wasn’t legendary in his own zone as well, evidenced by his six Norris Trophies as a member of the Canadiens (He won a seventh with New York as well.) Toe Blake once referred to him as “the greatest defenseman who has ever played hockey, bar none.” He also won six Stanley Cups, and was a key part of those five straight wins between 1956 and 1960. He’s a very worthy candidate to round out the top 5.
| Rank | Player | Years Active | Stats |
| 1 | Maurice Richard | 1942-1960 | 978GP,544G,421A,965P |
| 2 | Jean Beliveau | 1952-1971 | 1125GP, 507G, 712A, 1219P |
| 3 | Guy Lafleur | 1971-1985 | 961GP, 518G, 728A, 1246P |
| 4 | Larry Robinson | 1972-1989 | 1202GP, 197G, 686A, 883P |
| 5 | Doug Harvey | 1947-1961 | 890GP, 76G, 371A, 447P |
We won’t add anyone to the poll today, seeing as how we still have 11 great options available for the #6 spot.
Steve Shutt
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 871 | 408 | 368 | 776 |
Steve Shutt is, in my opinion, the ultimate underrated player in Habs history. When Shutt was a young player on a stacked team riding the pressbox a lot, Dick Irvin said that he never believed Shutt would play in the NHL. Not only did he prove Irvin wrong, he exponentially increased his totals over his first three seasons in the NHL until he was a regular 30-plus goal scorer. A major part of the 1970’s powerhouse teams, Shutt retired with five stanley cups as a Canadien.
He formed a tandem with Guy Lafleur, which in the words of the great coach Scotty Bowman, was “pretty much unstoppable.” He set a record for NHL left wingers with 60 goals in 1976-77, which would not be broken until 1992-93 by Luc Robitaille. Many have argued that Shutt was the benefactor of playing with Guy Lafleur, but even Lafleur himself has stated that Shutt was equally important for his successes.
Dickie Moore
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 654 | 254 | 340 | 594 |
Another member of the five straight cup squad, Dickie Moore is one of the best wingers to ever play in the National Hockey League. In total, he won six Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, and was arguably as vital to those squads as the Rocket. In 1958-59, he would break Gordie Howe’s record of 95 points in a single season, en route to one of his two Art Ross Trophies.
Moore was voted the top left winger in the history of the Canadiens when the team unveiled it’s dream team 75th anniversary team in 1985. It was a well deserved accolade for an amazing career, and he now is in the running for our list of the top 25 players of all time.
Yvan Cournoyer
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 968 | 428 | 435 | 863 |
The Roadrunner. Yvan Cournoyer is yet another player in Habs history that was diminutive in size, but huge on the score sheet. His aptly chosen nickname stemmed from the ridiculous speed at which he played the game, which he credited to the fact that he played with slightly longer than average skate blades. Another member of the double digit club, The Roadrunner won the Stanley Cup 10 times with the Canadiens in his career.
He set a record in the 1973 playoffs, when he was absolutely on fire, by scoring 15 goals in 17 games and earning the Conn Smythe that year. He was one of the fastest , most exciting players of his generation, and definitely deserves a spot in this top 25.
Newsy Lalonde
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 98 | 124 | 27 | 151 |
You may have never heard of Newsy Lalonde, as he is somewhat of a lost legend in hockey. If there were a challenger to Howie Morenz as hockey’s first superstar, it would be Lalonde. but it may interest you to know that he scored the first ever Montreal Canadiens goal in 1910, played in a number of different leagues back in the challenge cup era, and may actually have been hockey’s first 500 goal scorer.
His totals listed above aren’t the most impressive you’ll ever see, but they warrant some explanation. Seasons were considerably shorter in his day, so he didn’t have the time to put up the lofty totals that some other legends did. When you take a look at his 1.265 goals per game played though, you get a real picture of what he was as a player in his day. He absolutely deserves your consideration in this vote.
Henri Richard
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 1256 | 358 | 688 | 1046 |
The name that came up the most after the first round of voting was the younger brother of the guy who took the top spot. The Pocket Rocket had to grow up in an enormous shadow, and when he was invited to Canadiens camp in 1955, many believed that it was simply a favour to his legendary brother. Were they ever wrong, because it became quickly apparent from his first scrimmage with the club, that Henri was every bit as talented as Maurice.
He won the Stanley Cup as a player with the Canadiens a whopping 11 times, a record that is extremely unlikely to ever be beaten. He stuck with the team for 20 years, and was a leader for many of those. He was only awarded the captaincy after the departure of Jean Beliveau, but if not for Beliveau he could have worn it for nearly a decade. He is the longest tenured member of the Canadiens, and no man has worn the CH for more contests than Henri Richard. He surely belongs somewhere in this top 25, but it will be up to the voters as to where exactly he lands.
Elmer Lach
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 664 | 215 | 408 | 623 |
Elmer Lach was of course the pivot that centred the most famous line in Canadiens’ history; The Punch Line. One of the best centremen to ever play for the Habs, it was Elmer Lach who gave Jean Béliveau lessons on how to take face-offs when the latter entered the league. He was known for his exceptional skating and passing abilities. Béliveau himself spoke fondly of Lach’s amazing passes in his biography. Through 14 years in Montreal, Lach won three Stanley Cups , two Art Ross trophies, and one Hart trophy.
Perhaps the best part about Elmer Lach is that he attended Toronto’s training camp in 1937, but was rejected for being ‘too small.’ Three years later, he would sign with the Canadiens and become one of the club’s all-time greats. At the time of his retirement, Lach was the leading point scorer not just in Montreal Canadiens’ history, but that of the entire league. That fantastic passing sure helped him to that end. He may not have the pedigree of his famous former right winger, but he absolutely deserves his spot on this list.
Howie Morenz
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 460 | 267 | 150 | 417 |
Considered by many to be hockey’s first superstar, it was Howie Morenz to whom Maurice Richard would be compared, once the latter broke into the league. An exceptional skater, Morenz possessed speed on a level that was very tough for players at that time to contend with. While his points totals aren’t as lofty as some of the other candidates, I would remind voters that he played a good part of his career with forward passing considered illegal. Surely not many would argue against the statement; that if he played with a different rulebook, he would have posted higher totals.
With Montreal he won three Stanley Cups, and also three Hart trophies as league MVP. He led the league in scoring on two occasions. Most importantly, as the first Montreal superstar, he may well deserve a lot of credit for how hockey is revered in the city today. After his death, his funeral was held at the Forum with his casket placed at centre ice. Some 50,000 fans came to pay their respects, and the city of Montreal mourned his death for months. Even if you don’t think he’s the greatest of all time, he did pave the way for those who came after him.
Aurèle Joliat
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 655 | 270 | 190 | 460 |
When Newsy Lalonde was signed by the Saskatoon Shieks of the WHL in 1922, the hockey community of Montreal was in uproar at his loss, and the fact that Joliat was the compensation for the signing. Dubbed ‘The Little Giant,’ Joliat was like the first ever Brendan Gallagher. He stood a mere 5’7″ and weighed 136 pounds soaking wet, but he played the game with absolutely no fear, used his speed, and became one of the best scorers of his time.
Joliat played with Howie Morenz for the bulk of his career, and in many ways, he was really the needle to Morenz’s thread. The Flying Frenchman moniker was bolstered by these two, due to their extremely speedy ways of playing the game. He won three Stanley Cups with the Canadiens with Morenz at his side, won a Hart trophy, and retired as the leading Canadiens’ goal scorer at the time. You may not know Joliat very well, but he absolutely deserves to be on this list.
Jacques Plante
| Games Played | Wins | Losses | GAA | Shutouts |
| 556 | 314 | 133 | 2.23 | 58 |
And we’ve now arrived at the first goaltender on our list, who like Doug Harvey, was a pioneer for his position. Best known as the inventor of the goalie mask, his wins record of 42 – shared with Ken Dryden – which he accomplished twice, was only beaten this past year by Carey Price’s out-of-this-world season. He is still the all-time Canadiens’ leader among netminders for games played, and also for wins. He won six Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, and equaled that total with six Vezina trophies. During his time with Montreal, the name Plante was synonymous with the word ‘winning’.
If not for Jacques Plante, the goaltending position may not have evolved the way it did, and the Montreal Canadiens may not have won as many cups as they did. He’s one of the greatest goaltenders to ever live, and definitely a solid choice for any voter.
Ken Dryden
| Games Played | Wins | Losses | GAA | Shutouts |
| 397 | 258 | 57 | 2.24 | 46 |
Sticking with the goaltenders, Dryden is the man who shared the wins record with the aforementioned Plante, prior to last season. He won the Conn Smythe trophy in 1971 before even playing his official rookie season. When it did come time for him to play his actual rookie season, he naturally took home the Calder trophy. He backstopped the powerhouse 70’s Canadiens to six Stanley Cups, and won the Vezina five times. He didn’t have a long career, retiring after only seven full seasons, but did he ever accomplish a lot over that short amount of time.
Dryden was always a very intelligent hockey mind, his post-retirement book ‘The Game’ being one of the better reads you’ll have the privilege to enjoy. And few will forget his iconic pose, standing upright with his blocker resting on his stick, making him look like a man among boys. Most of all, when you really think about how much he won during his short time with the team, you have to give him some thought as one of the best ever.
Patrick Roy
| Games Played | Wins | Losses | GAA | Shutouts |
| 551 | 289 | 175 | 2.77 | 29 |
The third and final goaltender currently in contention is none other than Saint Patrick. The most recently active Canadien featured on this list, Roy took the league by storm in 1986 when he led the team to the Stanley Cup in his rookie season, earning himself a Conn Smythe after posting a 1.92 GAA in 20 games. He would win the Vezina trophy three times with the Canadiens, to go along with three Jennings trophies shared with Brian Hayward.
He dragged the unlikely 1993 Canadiens through the playoffs with 10 overtime wins, another Conn Smythe, and ultimately the Stanley Cup. While the 1993 team was good, there is no denying that Patrick Roy was the primary reason that they were able to win the last cup the team won. While he did depart the team under some tough circumstances, it wasn’t entirely his fault, and probably shouldn’t affect his consideration in the votes.
There you have it, 11 greats to select from for the sixth spot on our list. Happy debating, and remember to suggest players you’d like to see added in the next round of voting!
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Which legend deserves the #6 spot?
| Jacques Plante | 83 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | 30 |
| Steve Shutt | 4 |
| Howie Morenz | 107 |
| Ken Dryden | 49 |
| Patrick Roy | 64 |
| Aurele Joliat | 3 |
| Newsy Lalonde | 4 |
| Elmer Lach | 4 |
| Dickie Moore | 9 |
| Henri Richard | 102 |
