John Martin Van Boxmeer (born November 20, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He also worked extensively as a hockey coach and scout after his playing career ended in 1984.
134-531: John Van Boxmeer was considered a top prospect, and was drafted 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1972. He was so highly regarded that he began his professional career by travelling to Moscow for the 1972 Summit Series at the request of tournament organizer Alan Eagleson , though he did not play in the famous series. He played 46 games for the Stanley Cup champion Canadiens in 1975–76 , but his name
268-941: A heart attack in August 2008, but recovered quickly and returned behind the SC Bern bench. He was a scout for the Buffalo Sabres until 2020. Van Boxmeer's son, Hank, was a defenceman who played for the State University of New York at Oswego Lakers. His daughter, Ashley, played college softball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans and for Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing . Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (French: Les Canadiens de Montréal ), officially le Club de hockey Canadien ( lit. The Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as
402-702: A 3-year deal that expired after the 2016–17 season; the games were called by Bartlett and Jason York . Prior to this deal, TSN held the rights from 2010 through 2014; the games were broadcast on a part-time channel with Dave Randorf on play-by-play. This is a list of the last five seasons completed by the Canadiens. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Montreal Canadiens seasons . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Updated November 25, 2024 The Canadiens have retired 15 numbers in honour of 18 players,
536-503: A game against Oakland, Masterton was checked hard by two players causing him to flip over backwards and land on his head. Masterton was rushed to hospital with massive head injuries, and died there two days later. The National Hockey League Writers Association presented the league with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy later in the season. Following Masterton's death, players slowly began wearing helmets, and starting in
670-448: A hard salary cap, linked to a fixed percentage of league revenues and a 24% rollback on salaries. Hoping to reduce the number of tie games during the regular season, the NHL decided that beginning in the 1999–2000 season, in any game tied after regulation time, both teams would be guaranteed one point, while the team that won in overtime would earn a second point. The Edmonton Oilers hosted
804-588: A network television presence by expanding throughout the American south. The NHL's southward push continued in 1993 as the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas , to become the Dallas Stars . In 1994, the players were locked out by the owners because of a lack of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The 1994–95 NHL lockout lasted 104 days and resulted in the season's being shortened from
938-615: A new city. Led by club president Pierre Boivin , the Canadiens returned to being a lucrative enterprise, earning additional revenues from broadcasting and arena events. In 2009, Gillett sold the franchise to a consortium led by the Molson family which included The Woodbridge Company , BCE/Bell , the Fonds de solidarité FTQ , Michael Andlauer , Luc Bertrand and the National Bank Financial Group for $ 575 million, more than double
1072-656: A part of the NHL since its founding, it was still rare to see them in the NHL until 1980, although the WHA employed a number of them. Börje Salming was the first European star in the NHL and Finns Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen helped lead the Oilers dynasty of the 1980s. The WHA opened the door, and players slowly joined the NHL, but those behind the Iron Curtain were restricted from following suit. In 1980, Peter Šťastný , his wife, and his brother Anton secretly fled Czechoslovakia with
1206-586: A planned 84 games to 48. The owners insisted on a salary cap , changes to free agency and arbitration in the hopes of limiting escalating salaries, the union instead proposed a luxury tax system. Just as the entire season seemed to be lost, an 11th-hour deal was agreed on. The owners failed to achieve a full salary cap but the deal was initially hailed as a win for the owners. The deal was not enough to save two teams in Canada's smallest NHL markets. The revenue disparity between large and small market teams, exacerbated by
1340-667: A plus-40 season and helped the Sabres climb to first place in their division, and the defenseman's best statistical seasons as a pro were in Buffalo. With the emergence of Phil Housley on the Buffalo blueline, Van Boxmeer became expendable, and he was claimed by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1983 NHL Waiver Draft . He spent the majority of his time during the 1983–84 season in the American Hockey League , and played his final game with
1474-454: A record for most NHL victories by a coach, was the team's head coach for its last five Stanley Cup victories in the 1970s. The Canadiens won Stanley Cups in 1986 , led by rookie star goaltender Patrick Roy , and in 1993 , continuing their streak of winning at least one championship in every decade from the 1910s to the 1990s (this streak came to an end in the 2000s). In 1996, the Habs moved from
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#17328519424601608-631: A record-low value of the Canadian dollar , Montreal fans feared their team would end up relocated to the United States. Team owner Molson Brewery sold control of the franchise and the Molson Centre to American businessman George N. Gillett Jr. in 2001, with the right of first refusal for any future sale by Gillett and a condition that the NHL Board of Governors must unanimously approve any attempt to move to
1742-525: A result, games on RDS are blacked out outside the Canadiens' home market of Quebec, Atlantic Canada and parts of Eastern Ontario shared with the Ottawa Senators . At least 22 Canadiens games per season (primarily through its Saturday night La super soirée LNH ), including all playoff games, are televised nationally by TVA Sports. TSN2 assumed the English-language regional television rights in
1876-498: A season, finishing with 126 points. A gifted scorer, Orr revolutionized defencemen's impact on the offensive part of the game, as blue-liners began to be judged on how well they created goals in addition to how well they prevented them. Orr twice won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer, the only defenceman in NHL history to do so. Chronic knee problems plagued Orr throughout his career; he played 12 seasons in
2010-464: A season, with 92 in the 1981–82 season ; in assists, with 163 in the 1985–86 ; and in total points, with 215 in 1985–86. Gretzky also set the record for scoring 50 goals in the fewest games, achieving the mark in 39 games. The Islanders and Oilers met in the Finals as New York swept Edmonton for their last Stanley Cup. The following season, the Oilers and Islanders met again in the playoffs. The Oilers won
2144-822: A shootout before a crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium . The second Winter Classic was held January 1, 2009, at Wrigley Field in Chicago between the Blackhawks and Red Wings. The third NHL Winter Classic was held in Fenway Park on January 1, 2010, between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The home team Bruins won. Two clubs still experienced financial problems, however. The Phoenix Coyotes eventually filed for bankruptcy in May 2009 . The league then took control over
2278-528: A wave of anger towards league president Clarence Campbell, who was warned not to attend a scheduled game in Montreal after receiving numerous death threats, mainly from French-Canadians accusing him of anti-French bias. Campbell dismissed the warnings, and attended the March 17 game as planned. His presence at the game was perceived by many fans as a provocation and he was booed and pelted with eggs and fruit. An hour into
2412-470: A year later. The Lightning made NHL history when goaltender Manon Rhéaume played a period of an exhibition game, September 23, 1992. In doing so, Rhéaume became the first woman to play in an NHL game. One year later, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida Panthers began play as the NHL's 25th and 26th franchises respectively. The two new franchises were granted as part of the NHL's attempts at regaining
2546-418: 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 waistline. The main road sweater is mainly white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves red shoulder yokes. The basic design has been in use since 1914 and took its current form in 1925, generally evolving as materials changed. Because of
2680-518: Is sung in English. One of sport's oldest and most recognizable logos, the classic 'C' and 'H' of the Montreal Canadiens was first used together in the 1917–18 season, when the club changed its name to "Club de hockey Canadien" from "Club athlétique Canadien", before evolving to its current form in 1952–53. The "H" stands for "hockey", not " Habitants ," a popular misconception. According to NHL.com,
2814-636: The 1926–27 season . The club began the 1930s decade successfully, with Stanley Cup wins in 1930 and 1931 . The Canadiens and its cross-town rivals the Montreal Maroons , who stopped playing after the 1937–38 NHL season , declined both on the ice and economically during the Great Depression . Losses grew to the point where the team owners considered selling the team to interests in Cleveland , Ohio, though local investors were ultimately found to finance
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#17328519424602948-586: The 1967 Stanley Cup Finals between the two-time defending champion Canadiens, and the Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs finished the era by winning the Cup four times between 1962 and 1967, their 1967 championship is the last Maple Leafs title to date. The Chicago Blackhawks , who won in 1961, are the only other team to win the Stanley Cup during this period. In 1963, Rangers governor William Jennings introduced to his peers
3082-514: The 1974 Stanley Cup , becoming the first expansion team to win the league championship. In 1972, the NHL faced competition from the newly formed World Hockey Association (WHA). The WHA lured many players away from the NHL. The WHA's biggest coup was to lure Bobby Hull from the Black Hawks to play for the Winnipeg Jets . He signed a $ 2.75 million contract, and lent instant credibility to
3216-680: The 1976–77 season , the Canadiens set three still-standing team records – fewest losses (8) in an 80-game season, the longest home unbeaten streak (34), and best goal differential (+216) – and one record that lasted until the 2022–23 Boston Bruins beat it, for the most points (132) in an 80-game season. The next season, 1977–78, the team had a 28-game unbeaten streak, the second-longest in NHL history . The next generation of stars included Guy Lafleur , Yvan Cournoyer , Ken Dryden , Pete Mahovlich , Jacques Lemaire , Pierre Larouche , Steve Shutt , Bob Gainey , Serge Savard , Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson . Scotty Bowman , who would later set
3350-432: The 1979–80 season , the league mandated all players entering the league wear them. In the 1968–69 season , third-year defenceman Bobby Orr scored 21 goals to set an NHL record for goals by a defenceman en route to winning his first of eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the league's top defenceman. At the same time, Orr's teammate, Phil Esposito , became the first player in league history to score 100 points in
3484-582: The 1988–89 regular season , Flames general manager Cliff Fletcher announced that he had reached an agreement with Soviet authorities that allowed Sergei Pryakhin to play in North America. It was the first time a member of the Soviet national team was permitted to leave the Soviet Union. Shortly after, Soviet players began to flood into the NHL. Teams anticipated that there would be an influx of Soviet players in
3618-577: The 2005–06 season , rookies Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby began their careers. In their first three seasons, they each won both the Art Ross and Hart trophies; Crosby in 2007, and Ovechkin in 2008. The success of the Heritage Classic led to the scheduling of more outdoor games. The Sabres hosted the 2008 NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day 2008, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in
3752-545: The 2020–21 season , the league moved the Canadiens along with the other six teams from Canada to the North Division . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Canadiens only played against teams in the division in the regular season to avoid travel restrictions between the United States and Canada . All teams in the division played without fans to begin the season. The Canadiens advanced through the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs , beating
3886-531: The Arenas . While new, the NHL was a continuation of the NHA. The NHL adopted the NHA's constitution, its rules, playing with six men to a side rather than the then-traditional seven and the NHA's split-season schedule. The owners originally intended the NHL to only operate for one season. However, the NHA was suspended permanently in 1918 and ceased to be an organisation in 1920. In 1921, the NHA championship trophy O'Brien Cup
4020-655: The COVID-19 pandemic in North America ; the league subsequently announced on July 1 that the season would end with a 24-team playoff tournament to be held behind closed doors in Toronto and Edmonton from August 1. On April 18, 2024, the Arizona Coyotes were deactivated, and its players and personnel were transferred to the Utah Hockey Club . Under the original conditions, the Coyotes franchise would have been reactivated if
4154-597: The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame. The first two recipients of the award were Danny Gallivan and Rene Lecavalier in 1984. The other three award recipients are Doug Smith (1985), Dick Irvin Jr. (1988), and Gilles Tremblay (2002). Players Builders Source: "MTL Records - Montréal Canadiens - History" . records.nhl.com . Retrieved November 22, 2023 . These are
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4288-806: The Habs , are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal . The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . Since 1996, the team has played its home games at Bell Centre , originally known as Molson Centre. The Canadiens previously played at the Montreal Forum , which housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships. Founded in 1909,
4422-638: The Montreal Expos baseball team but was dropped from the franchise when they moved to Washington, D.C. in 2004–05 and became the Washington Nationals . With the switch, Youppi became the first mascot in professional sports to switch leagues. He is also the first mascot in professional sports to get ejected from a game. In June 2020, Youppi became the first mascot from a Canadian-based club to be honoured in The Mascot Hall of Fame. Youppi's induction in
4556-506: The Montreal Maroons in 1926, respectively. The NHL continued to expand, adding the Maroons and its first American team, the Boston Bruins in 1924, getting up to 10 teams by 1926. Defence dominated the NHL, and in the 1928–29 season , Canadiens goaltender George Hainsworth set what remains a league record with 22 shutouts in 44 games. In response, the NHL began to allow forward passing in
4690-808: The Nashville Predators joined the league, followed by the Atlanta Thrashers the following year. To further market their players, the NHL decided to have its players play in the Winter Olympics, starting in 1998, at the Nagano Games . In 2000, the league added two franchises, boosting the total number to 30. The NHL returned to Minnesota with the Wild and added the Blue Jackets in Columbus , Ohio . By 2004,
4824-473: The National Football League 's Arizona Cardinals . The franchise is one of the " Original Six ", the teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion . The team's championship season in 1992–93 marked the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup . The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise, having earned 24 championships, with 23 victories since
4958-562: The National Hockey Association (NHA). Since the NHA's owners were notable, wealthy businessmen, the CHA did not complete a season, as the NHA easily recruited the top players, and interest in the CHA teams faded. By 1914, the rival Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) league was launched and the NHA champion would play off each season against the PCHA champion for the Stanley Cup, ending
5092-530: The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) was formed in 1967 and it quickly received acceptance from the owners. The Original Six era was a period of dynasties. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup five times between 1944–45 and 1950–51 . In the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals , the Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens four games to one in the only final in NHL history when all games were decided in overtime. Beginning in 1948–49 ,
5226-601: The New Jersey Devils for the 1982–83 season . Although the league expanded from six to 21 teams, dynasties still prevailed in the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens won four consecutive Stanley Cups starting in 1975-76 . In 1980 , the New York Islanders won their first of four consecutive Stanley Cups. The Islanders dominated both the regular season and the playoffs with the likes of Billy Smith , Mike Bossy , Denis Potvin , and Bryan Trottier . In 1981, Bossy became
5360-539: The New York Rangers . Willie O'Ree broke the NHL's black colour barrier when he suited up for the Bruins in 1958. In 1959, Jacques Plante became the first goaltender to regularly use a mask for protection. The Original Six era ended in 1967 when the NHL doubled in size by adding six new expansion teams . The six existing teams were formed into the newly created East Division , while the expansion teams were formed into
5494-756: The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). In the 1905–06 season, the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA) was formed, which mixed paid and amateur players in its rosters, which led to the demise of the IHL. Bidding wars for players led many ECAHA teams to lose money, and it eventually folded on November 25, 1909. As a result of the dissolution of the ECAHA, two leagues were formed—the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) and
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5628-454: The Rochester Americans in 1984 before retiring. Since retiring, he has served as the head coach of the Rochester Americans and the Long Beach Ice Dogs , and has also been an assistant coach at the NHL level with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings . He won the Calder Cup as the head coach of Rochester in the 1986–87 season. He served as head coach of SC Bern of Switzerland 's Nationalliga A until March 2009. Van Boxmeer suffered
5762-406: The Stanley Cup by beating the Black Hawks in seven games in the finals. The 1970s were associated with aggressive, and often violent play. Known as the "Broad Street Bullies", the Philadelphia Flyers are the most famous example of this mindset. The Flyers established league records for penalty minutes— Dave "the Hammer" Schultz ' total of 472 in 1974–75 remains a league record. They captured
5896-425: The Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs 4–3, overcoming a 3–1 Maple Leafs lead in the series. The Canadiens then swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round, advancing to the Stanley Cup semifinals. The Canadiens defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in the semifinals, clinching an overtime victory in game 6 of the series, and reaching their first Stanley Cup Finals in 28 years, whilst also being
6030-428: The Toronto Maple Leafs , who first faced the Canadiens as the Toronto Arenas in 1917. The teams met 16 times in the playoffs, including five Stanley Cup Finals . Featuring the two largest cities in Canada and two of the largest fanbases in the league, the rivalry is sometimes dramatized as being emblematic of Canada's English and French linguistic divide. From 1938 to 1970, they were the only two Canadian teams in
6164-424: The West Division . The NHL continued to expand, adding another six teams, to total 18 by 1974. This continued expansion was partially brought about by the NHL's attempts to compete with the World Hockey Association , which operated from 1972 until 1979 and sought to compete with the NHL for markets and players. Bobby Hull was the most famous player to defect to the rival league, signing a $ 2.75 million contract with
6298-428: The Winnipeg Jets . The NHL became involved in international play in the mid-1970s, starting with the Summit Series in 1972 which pitted the top Canadian players of the NHL against the top players in the Soviet Union , which was won by Canada with four wins, three losses, and a tie. Eventually, Soviet-Bloc players streamed into the NHL with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 . When the WHA ceased operations in 1979,
6432-400: The " Battle of Quebec ". Montreal Canadiens games are broadcast locally in both the French and English languages. CHMP 98.5 is the Canadiens' French-language radio flagship. As of the 2017–18 season, the team's regional television in both languages, and its English-language radio rights, are held by Bell Media . CKGM , TSN Radio 690 , is the English-language radio flagship; it acquired
6566-400: The "Original Six" era began. The league was nearly reduced to five teams before the following season , as World War II had ravaged the rosters of many teams to such an extent that teams battled each other for players. With only five returning players from the previous season, New York Rangers general manager Lester Patrick suggested suspending his team's play for the duration of the war but
6700-416: The $ 275 million he spent on the purchase eight years prior. During the 2008–09 season , the Canadiens celebrated their 100th anniversary with various events, including hosting both the 2009 NHL All-Star Game , and the 2009 NHL entry draft . The Canadiens became the first team in NHL history to reach 3,000 victories with their 5–2 victory over the Florida Panthers on December 29, 2008. For
6834-430: The 1940s. The story was later made into an animated short, The Sweater , narrated by Carrier. A passage from the short story appears on the 2002 issue of the Canadian five-dollar bill . Nos bras meurtris vous tendent le flambeau, à vous toujours de le porter bien haut. To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high. The motto is from the poem " In Flanders Fields " by John McCrae , which
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#17328519424606968-442: The 1990s, as 18 Soviets were selected in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft . The 21-team era ended in 1990, when the league revealed ambitious plans to double league revenues from $ 400 million within a decade and bring the NHL to 28 franchises during that period. The NHL quickly announced three new teams: The San Jose Sharks , who began play in the 1991–92 season , and the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning , who followed
7102-461: The 2017–18 season, with John Bartlett on play-by-play, and Dave Poulin , Mike Johnson and Craig Button on colour commentary. All other games, including all playoff games, are televised nationally by Sportsnet or CBC . Bartlett returned to Sportsnet over the 2018 off-season, and was succeeded by Bryan Mudryk . English-language regional rights were previously held by Sportsnet East (with CJNT City Montreal as an overflow channel), under
7236-470: The Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars, reducing the NHL to 17 teams for 1978–79 . The move towards a merger picked up in 1977 when John Ziegler succeeded Clarence Campbell as NHL president. The WHA folded following the 1978–79 season, while the Edmonton Oilers , Hartford Whalers , Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets joined the NHL as expansion teams, which brought the league up to 21 teams, until 1991. The merger brought Gordie Howe back to
7370-417: The Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide, and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL . One of the oldest North American professional sports franchises, the Canadiens' history predates that of every other Canadian franchise outside the Canadian Football League 's Toronto Argonauts , as well as every American franchise outside baseball and
7504-514: The Canadiens on the last day of the 1935 season, Montreal fans voiced their opinion, giving him a standing ovation. Morenz was eventually re-acquired by Montreal, and on January 28, 1937, Morenz's skate became caught in the ice during a play. He suffered a broken leg in four places, and died on March 8 of a coronary embolism; 50,000 people filed past Morenz's casket at centre ice of the Montreal Forum to pay their last respects. A benefit game held in November 1937 raised $ 20,000 for Morenz's family as
7638-707: The Canadiens. The Maroons suspended operations, and several of their players moved to the Canadiens. Led by the " Punch Line " of Maurice "Rocket" Richard , Toe Blake and Elmer Lach in the 1940s, the Canadiens enjoyed success again atop the NHL. From 1953 to 1960 , the franchise won six Stanley Cups, including a record five straight from 1956 to 1960, with a new set of stars coming to prominence: Jean Beliveau , Dickie Moore , Doug Harvey , Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion , Jacques Plante and Richard's younger brother, Henri . The Canadiens added ten more championships in 15 seasons from 1965 to 1979 , with another dynastic run of four-straight Cups from 1976 to 1979. In
7772-426: The English NHL shield logo. The Canadiens used multiple designs prior to adopting the aforementioned design in 1914. The original shirt of the 1909–10 season was blue with a white C. The second season had a red shirt featuring a green maple leaf with the C logo, and green pants. Lastly, the season before adopting the current look the Canadiens wore a " barber pole " design jersey with red, white and blue stripes, and
7906-399: The Mascot Hall of Fame was decided by a long voting process, which included the public vote. In 2022, the Canadiens introduced an "unofficial official mascot" for its Reverse Retro series of games that season. The Canadiens have developed strong rivalries with two fellow Original Six franchises, with whom they frequently shared divisions and competed in postseason play. The oldest is with
8040-420: The Montreal Forum, their home during 70 seasons and 22 Stanley Cups, to Molson Centre (now called Bell Centre ). Following Roy's departure in 1995, the Canadiens fell into an extended stretch of mediocrity, missing the playoffs in four of their next ten seasons and failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs until 2010. By the late 1990s, with both an ailing team and monetary losses exacerbated by
8174-417: The NHL All-Stars defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6–5. In the mid-1930s, Chicago Black Hawks owner and staunch American nationalist Frederic McLaughlin commanded his general manager to compile a team of only American players; at the time, Taffy Abel was the only American-born player who was a regular player in the league. With eight out of 14 players Americans, the Black Hawks won only 14 of 48 games. In
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#17328519424608308-412: The NHL absorbed four of the league's teams, which brought the NHL to 21 teams, a figure that remained constant until the San Jose Sharks were added as an expansion franchise in 1991. Since then, the league has grown from 22 teams in 1992 to 32 today as the NHL spread its footprint across the United States . The league has withstood major labour conflicts in 1994–95 and 2004–05 , the latter of which saw
8442-442: The NHL before injuries forced his retirement in 1978. Orr finished with 270 goals and 915 points in 657 games, and he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league Most Valuable Player thrice. For the 1970–71 NHL season, two new teams, the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks made their debuts and were both put into the East Division. The Chicago Black Hawks were moved to the West Division. The Montreal Canadiens won
8576-450: The NHL for one final season in 1979–80 , during which he brought his NHL career total to 801 goals and 1,850 points. It was also the last season for the Atlanta Flames. The team averaged only 9,800 fans in attendance and lost over $ 2 million. They were sold for a record $ 16 million, and relocated north to become the Calgary Flames in 1980–81 . Two years later, the Rockies were sold for $ 30 million, and left Denver to become
8710-506: The NHL's all-time leading scorer with 544 goals. In the fall of 1951, Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe watched special television feeds of games in an attempt to determine whether it would be a suitable medium for broadcasting hockey games. Television already had its detractors within the NHL, especially in Campbell. In 1952, even though only 10% of Canadians owned a television set, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) began televising games. On November 1, 1952, Hockey Night in Canada
8844-418: The NHL's first regular season outdoor hockey game, the Heritage Classic on November 22, 2003. The game against the Canadiens was held at Commonwealth Stadium before a then-record crowd of 57,167 fans who endured temperatures as low as −18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit). In the 2005–06 season , the NHL eliminated tie games, as the shootout was introduced to decide all regular season games tied after
8978-410: The NHL's scoring race with 80, 73 and 67 points respectively. It was Richard who became the focus of the media and fans as he attempted to score 50 goals in a 50-game season , a feat no other player had accomplished in league history. Richard scored his 50th goal in Boston at 17:45 of the third period of Montreal's final game of the season. On March 13, 1948, Larry Kwong , the "China Clipper", becomes
9112-409: The PCHA and the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). As a result, ice hockey players were among the best paid athletes in North America. By the mid-1920s, the NHL emerged as the sole major league in North America; the PCHA and WCHL merged in 1924, only to disband two years later. The Victoria Cougars are the last non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup, having defeated the Canadiens in 1925, and lost to
9246-480: The Red Wings won seven consecutive regular season titles, a feat that no other team has accomplished. During that time, the Wings won four Stanley Cups. It was during the 1952 Stanley Cup Finals that the Legend of the Octopus was created. Brothers Pete and Jerry Cusimano brought a dead octopus to the Detroit Olympia for the fourth game of the finals. They hoped that the octopus would inspire Detroit to an eighth game victory. Detroit went on to defeat Montreal 3–0 and
9380-426: The Toronto franchise was sold to Conn Smythe , who renamed it to the Maple Leafs , and successfully promised to win the Stanley Cup in five years. He built the Maple Leaf Gardens , which included radio broadcaster Foster Hewitt 's famous broadcast booth, affectionately referred to as a "gondola". On December 13, 1933, Eddie Shore charged Ace Bailey causing a severe skull fracture, following what Shore thought
9514-404: The aid of Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut . The Šťastnýs' defection made international headlines, and contributed to the first wave of Europeans' entrance into the NHL. Hoping that they would one day be permitted to play in the NHL, teams drafted Soviet players in the 1980s, 27 in all by the 1988 draft; however, defection was the only way such players could play in the NHL. Shortly before the end of
9648-514: The board of the NHL's Pension Society since 1952. Lindsay and his fellow players were upset by the league's refusal to let them view the books related to the pension fund. The league claimed that it could not contribute more than it did but the players on the Pension Committee suspected otherwise. The idea quickly gained popularity and when the union's founding was announced publicly, nearly every NHL player had signed up. Led by Alan Eagleson ,
9782-485: The challenge era. The National Hockey League came into existence with the suspension of the NHA in 1917. After unsuccessfully resolving disputes with Eddie Livingstone , owner of the Toronto Blueshirts , executives of the three other NHA franchises—the Montreal Canadiens , Montreal Wanderers and Ottawa Senators —suspended the NHA, and formed the NHL, replacing Livingstone's team with a temporary team in Toronto,
9916-482: The creation of the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames as 1972 expansion teams . Following the 1972–73 season , the NHL announced it was further expanding to 18-teams for the 1974–75 season , adding the Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals . In just eight years, the NHL had tripled in size to 18 teams. By 1976, both leagues were dealing with serious financial problems. The St. Louis Blues were on
10050-477: The end of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA), in 1917. After unsuccessfully attempting to resolve disputes with Eddie Livingstone , owner of the Toronto Blueshirts , executives of the three other NHA franchises suspended the NHA, and formed the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Livingstone team with a temporary team in Toronto, the Arenas . The NHL's first quarter-century saw
10184-528: The entire 2004–05 NHL season canceled, the first time in North American history that a league has canceled an entire season in a labour dispute. Wayne Gretzky passed Gordie Howe as the NHL's all-time leading scorer in 1994 when he scored his 802nd career goal. Mario Lemieux overcame non-Hodgkin lymphoma to finish his NHL career with over 1,700 points and two Stanley Cup championships. Increased use of defence-focused systems helped cause scoring to fall in
10318-714: The falling value of the Canadian Dollar , forced the Quebec Nordiques to move to Denver and become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995; the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix, Arizona , becoming the Coyotes , the next year. The Hartford Whalers followed, moving to Greensboro, NC and becoming the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. The NHL continued its expansion into cities in the Southern United States. In 1998,
10452-531: The first Canadian team to reach the Finals since the Vancouver Canucks in 2011 . Montreal lost the Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning , 4–1. In 2021–22 , the Canadiens were unable to replicate their success from the prior season, ultimately finishing last in the league for the first time since the 1939–40 season and the first time in the NHL's expansion era, in what was one of the worst seasons in
10586-426: The first Canadiens given the honour in 1945, while Pierre Turgeon was the most recently inducted, in 2023. Along with players, a number of inductees from the builders category are affiliated with the club. The first inductee was vice president William Northey in 1945. The most recent inductee was Pat Burns in 2014. In addition to players and builders, five broadcasters for the Montreal Canadiens have been awarded
10720-569: The first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard , owner of the Madison Square Garden , in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants". In French, the "Habitants" nickname dates back to at least 1914, when it was printed in Le Devoir to report a 9–3 win over Toronto on the ninth of February. The team's colours since 1911 are blue, white and red. The home sweater
10854-412: The first non-white player in the NHL, breaking the colour barrier . He suited up for the New York Rangers against the Montreal Canadiens at the Montreal Forum . In March 1955, Richard was suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, after he received a match penalty for slashing Boston's Hal Laycoe then punching a linesman who attempted to intervene. The suspension touched off
10988-512: The first player to score 50 goals in 50 games since Maurice Richard accomplished that feat in 1945. In 1982–83 , the Edmonton Oilers had the best record. The Oilers were led by Wayne Gretzky, who remained with the Oilers when they joined the NHL in 1979. He scored 137 points in 1979–80 and won the first of nine Hart Trophies as the NHL's most valuable player. Over the next several seasons, Gretzky established new highs in goals scored in
11122-474: The first player to score 50 goals in a season in 1944–45 , and ten years later, Richard was suspended for assaulting a linesman, leading to the Richard Riot . Gordie Howe made his debut in 1946, and retired 35 seasons later as the NHL's all-time leader in goals and points. "China Clipper" Larry Kwong becomes the first non-white player in the league, breaking the NHL colour barrier in 1948, when he played for
11256-422: The five-minute overtime period. The shootout was one of several rule changes made in 2005, as the league attempted to open the game up after the lockout. One of the most controversial changes was the league's zero-tolerance policy on obstruction penalties. The league hoped that the game could be opened up if it cracked down on "clutching and grabbing". The tighter regulations have met with numerous complaints about
11390-676: The folding of the Philadelphia Quakers (originally the Pittsburgh Pirates ) and the St. Louis Eagles (originally the Ottawa Senators), the NHL was reduced to eight teams starting in the 1935–36 season . The Montreal Canadiens narrowly escaped a move to Cleveland , Ohio , before a syndicate of Montreal businessmen bought the team. Montreal's financial troubles forced them to sell popular player Howie Morenz . When Morenz scored against
11524-410: The forerunner to the National Hockey League . It was to be the team of the francophone community in Montreal, composed of francophone players, and under francophone ownership as soon as possible. The founders named the team "Les Canadiens," a term identified at the time with French speakers. The team's first season was not a success, as they placed last in the league. After the first year, ownership
11658-497: The founding of the NHL, and 22 since 1927, when NHL teams became the only ones to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens also had the most championships by a team of any of the four major North American sports leagues until the New York Yankees won their 25th World Series title in 1999 . The Canadiens were founded by J. Ambrose O'Brien on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the National Hockey Association (NHA),
11792-457: The franchise. The Canadiens finished fifth-last in the subsequent 2022–23 season . The Canadiens organization operates in both English and French. For many years, public address announcements and press releases have been given in both languages, and the team website and social media outlets are in both languages as well. At home games, the first stanza of O Canada is sung in French, and the chorus
11926-481: The game, a fan lobbed a tear-gas bomb in Campbell's direction, and firefighters decided to clear the building. Fans leaving the game and a growing mob of angry demonstrators rioted outside of the Montreal Forum , which became known as l'affaire Richard , or the Richard Riot . Richard became the first player to score 500 career goals on October 19, 1957. He retired in 1960 as an eight-time Stanley Cup champion, as well as
12060-518: The game. The first official All-Star Game took place at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on October 13, 1947, to raise money for the newly created NHL Pension Society. The NHL All-Stars defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 and raised C$ 25,000 for the pension fund. The 1940s Canadiens were led by the " Punch line " of Elmer Lach , Toe Blake and Maurice "Rocket" Richard . In 1944–45, Lach, Richard and Blake finished first, second and third in
12194-614: The idea of expanding the league to the American West Coast by adding two new teams for the 1964–65 season. While the governors did not agree to the proposal, the topic of expansion came up every time the owners met from then on out. In 1965, it was decided to expand by six teams, doubling the size of the NHL. In February 1966, the governors met and decided to award franchises to Los Angeles , Minnesota , Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , Oakland and St. Louis . The league rejected bids from Baltimore, Buffalo and Vancouver. In Canada, there
12328-427: The initial popularity of the broadcasts, it inaugurated a 21-game package of games the following year. The NHL itself adapted to be viewer-friendly. In 1949, the league mandated that the ice surface be painted white to make the puck easier to see. On January 18, 1958, Willie O'Ree joined the Bruins as an injury call-up for a game in Montreal. In doing so he became the first black player in the NHL . Clint Benedict
12462-573: The late 1880s. Before then, teams competed in tournaments and infrequent challenge contests that prevailed in the Canadian sports world at the time. In 1887, four clubs from Montreal formed the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) and developed a structured schedule. In 1892, Lord Stanley donated the Stanley Cup to be symbolic of the Canadian championship and appointed Philip Dansken Ross and Sheriff John Sweetland as its trustees. It
12596-419: The late 1990s, leading some to argue that the NHL's talent pool had been diluted by 1990s expansion. In 1998, the NHL began awarding teams a single point for losing in overtime, hoping to reduce the number of tie games; after the 2004–05 lockout, it eliminated the tie altogether, introducing the shootout to ensure that each game has a winner. The first attempts to regulate competitive ice hockey matches came in
12730-660: The league compete against two rival major leagues—the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and Western Canada Hockey League —for players and the Stanley Cup . The NHL first expanded into the United States in 1924 with the founding of the Boston Bruins , and by 1926 consisted of ten teams in Ontario , Quebec , the Great Lakes region , and the Northeastern United States . At the same time, the NHL emerged as
12864-551: The league, as a fire left them without an arena. In the 1918–19 season , the Montreal Canadiens faced the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA for the Stanley Cup amid the Spanish influenza pandemic. The series was called off after five games when numerous players became ill; one, Joe Hall of the Canadiens, died a few weeks later. During the early 1920s, the NHL faced competition for players from two other major leagues:
12998-428: The league. The team's other Original Six rival are the Boston Bruins , who since their NHL debut in 1924 have played the Canadiens more than any other team in both regular season play and the playoffs combined. The teams have played 34 playoff series, seven of which were in the finals. The Canadiens also had an intraprovincial rivalry with the Quebec Nordiques during their existence from 1979 to 1995, nicknamed
13132-477: The legitimacy of some calls, that players are diving to draw penalties, and that officials are not calling enough penalties. The changes initially led to a sharp increase in scoring. Teams combined to score 6.1 goals per game in 2005–06, more than a full goal per game higher than in the 2003–04 season . This represented the highest increase in offence since 1929–30 . However, scoring has rapidly declined since, approaching pre-lockout totals in 2007–08 . In
13266-633: The lockout. The first games of the season were held on January 19. In 2017, the league began its second century and expanded again to Las Vegas, Nevada , with the Vegas Golden Knights . In 2018, the league approved another expansion team in Seattle, Washington , the Seattle Kraken , which began play in 2021. On May 26, 2020, the NHL declared that 2019–20 regular season (which had been suspended after March 11) would be prematurely terminated due to
13400-451: The logo being a white maple leaf reading "CAC", "Club athlétique Canadien". All three designs were worn during the 2009–10 season as part of the Canadiens centenary. In the 2020–21 season, the Canadiens unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform in collaboration with Adidas . The uniform was essentially the same as their regular red uniform, but with blue as the primary colour and red as the stripe colour. A second "Reverse Retro" uniform
13534-537: The mid-1970s, starting with the Summit Series in 1972 which pitted the top Canadian players of the NHL against the top players in the Soviet Union . With the eight-game series tied at three wins apiece and a tie, Paul Henderson scooped up a rebound and put it past Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak with 34 seconds left in the eighth and final game to score the series-winning goal. While European-born players were
13668-540: The most career points. Mario Lemieux led Pittsburgh to Stanley Cups in 1990–91 and 1991–92 . A gifted forward, he won six Art Ross Trophies as the league's leading scorer and he scored 199 points in 1988–89 , becoming the second highest single-season point scorer behind Gretzky. Lemieux's career was plagued by health issues, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma , and he retired in 1997. In 2000, he returned and finished his NHL career in 2006 with more than 1,700 points. The NHL became first involved in international play in
13802-636: The most of any team in the NHL. All honourees were born in Canada and were members of at least two Stanley Cup winning Canadiens teams. Howie Morenz was the first honouree, on November 2, 1937. The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky 's No. 99 for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game . The Montreal Canadiens have an affiliation with a number of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame . Thirty-seven of these players are from three separate notable dynasties: 12 from 1955 to 1960, 11 from 1964 to 1969, and 13 from 1975 to 1979. Howie Morenz and Georges Vezina were
13936-458: The new league. After Hull signed, several other players quickly followed suit and the NHL suddenly found itself in a war for talent. By the time the 1972–73 WHA season began, 67 players had switched from the NHL to the WHA. The NHL also found itself competing with the WHA for markets. Initially, the league had no intention to expand past 14 teams, but the threat the WHA represented caused the league to change its plans. The league hastily announced
14070-593: The next four games to capture the Stanley Cup, becoming the first of four teams in the NHL to come back from a 3–0 series deficit and the only team to accomplish that in the Stanley Cup Finals . Prior to the 1938–39 season , the Montreal Maroons folded due to financial difficulties, while the New York Americans suffered a similar fate prior to the 1942–43 season . With the league reduced to six teams,
14204-587: The offensive zone, which caused the offense to increase by approximately 2.5 times; to stem the tide, the NHL introduced the offside rule, which prevents offensive players from entering the opponent's zone before the puck crosses the "blue line". Livingstone continued to press claims in court throughout the 1920s, going as far as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London , England . In early 1927,
14338-436: The only major league and the sole competitor for the Stanley Cup; in 1947, the NHL completed a deal with the Stanley Cup trustees to gain full control of the Cup. The NHL's footprint spread across Canada as Foster Hewitt 's radio broadcasts were heard coast-to-coast starting in 1933. The Great Depression and World War II reduced the league to six teams, later known as the " Original Six ", by 1942. Maurice Richard became
14472-612: The opportunity to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. He played all 80 games in the 1977–78 season, the only time the Rockies qualified for the playoffs in their history. When former Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman moved to the Buffalo Sabres , he acquired Van Boxmeer to bolster the Sabres' blueline, recalling how he had reluctantly traded the defenceman in 1976. To do so, he broke up the Sabres' famed " French Connection " line, sending René Robert to Colorado. Van Boxmeer responded with
14606-568: The original on December 4, 2017 . Retrieved January 26, 2018 . * Indicates a league record. Source: "Season records – Individual records – Skaters | Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens" . Montreal Canadiens. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013 . Retrieved December 12, 2008 . History of the National Hockey League The history of the National Hockey League begins with
14740-437: The owners were again demanding a salary cap, which the players were unwilling to consider until the season was on the verge of being lost. The season's cancellation led to a revolt within the union. NHLPA president Trevor Linden and senior director Ted Saskin took charge of negotiations from executive director Bob Goodenow . By early July, the two sides had agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement . The deal featured
14874-408: The owners were claiming that player salaries had grown far faster than revenues, and that the league as a whole lost over US$ 300 million in 2002–03 . As a result, on September 15, 2004, Gary Bettman announced that the owners again locked the players out before the start of the 2004–05 season . On February 16, 2005, Bettman announced the cancellation of the entire season. As with the 1994–95 lockout,
15008-455: The playoffs, however, the Hawks upset the Canadiens, New York Americans , and the Maple Leafs to become the only team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup despite a losing regular-season record. In the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals , the heavily favoured Toronto Maple Leafs were facing an upset, having fallen 3–0 in the seven-game series to the fifth-place Detroit Red Wings . Toronto rebounded, and won
15142-528: The rematch in five games, marking the start of another dynasty. Led by Gretzky and Mark Messier , the Oilers won five Stanley Cup championships between 1984 and 1990. On August 9, 1988, Oilers owner Peter Pocklington , in financial trouble, traded Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings . Gretzky's trade to the Kings popularized ice hockey in the United States. With the Kings, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's record for
15276-416: The rights under a seven-year deal which began in the 2011–12 season. In June 2017, Bell Media reached a five-year extension. Regional television rights in French are held by Réseau des sports (RDS) under a 12-year deal that began in the 2014–15 NHL season . A sister to the English-language network TSN , RDS was the only French-language sports channel in Canada until the 2011 launch of TVA Sports , and
15410-433: The team to Winnipeg, a stark reversal of the league's Southward expansion more than a decade earlier. The NHL again entered lockout in 2012 , cancelling the first 526 games, about 43% of the season, until at least December 30, 2012. Just after 5 am on January 6, 2013, after approximately 16 continuous hours of negotiating, the NHL and the players' union reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement to end
15544-575: The team later that year in order to stabilize the club's operations, with the hopes of eventually reselling it to a new owner who would be committed to stay in the Phoenix market. The league did not find a satisfactory buyer for the Coyotes until 2013. Eleven years later, the Coyotes ceased operations while a new team in Utah began. The financially struggling Atlanta Thrashers were eventually sold to True North Sports and Entertainment in 2011, who then relocated
15678-413: The team's history. In the process they set team records for most regulation losses (49), most goals against (319), fewest wins (22), and fewest points (55), while their .335 point percentage was the team's third-worst ever, after only 1925–26 (.319) and 1939–40 (.260). As a result, team owner Geoff Molson authorized a "rebuild" of the roster over an extended period, a first in the modern history of
15812-500: The team's lengthy history and significance in Quebec, the sweater has been referred to as 'La Sainte-Flanelle' (the holy flannel sweater). Since 2015, the Canadiens' home red sweater is the only uniform in the league to feature the French language version of the NHL shield logo (LNH) on the neck collar, in acknowledgment of Montreal's French Canadian heritage. The road white sweater retains
15946-470: 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 Sources: "Statistics | Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens" . Montreal Canadiens. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009 . Retrieved June 27, 2009 . , "Hockey-Reference.com" . June 17, 2010. Archived from
16080-463: The tradition was born. The Red Wings faced the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Finals in three consecutive seasons between 1954 and 1956. Detroit won the first two match-ups, but Montreal captured the 1956 Stanley Cup, ending one dynasty and starting another. The Canadiens won five consecutive championships between 1956 and 1960, a feat no other team has duplicated. The Original Six era ended with
16214-764: The verge of bankruptcy. Talk of a merger between the NHL and the WHA was growing. In 1976, for the first time in four decades, the NHL approved franchise relocations; the Scouts moved after just two years in Kansas City to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies , while the California Golden Seals became the Cleveland Barons . Two years later, after failed overtures about merging the Barons with Washington and Vancouver,
16348-494: Was a check from Bailey, but was actually made by King Clancy . Despite the grim prognosis (newspapers printed his obituary), Bailey survived, but did not play another game. The Maple Leafs hosted the Ace Bailey All-Star Benefit Game , which raised over $ 20,000 for Bailey and his family. While Conn Smythe was able to successfully build a new arena, numerous other teams experienced financial difficulties. With
16482-481: Was adopted as the championship trophy of the NHL. One of the NHL's first superstars was the prolific goal-scorer Joe Malone , who scored 44 goals in 20 games in the NHL's first season, of which five were netted on the NHL's opening night. He also set the record for the most goals in a game that season, with seven. Six games into the season, the Montreal Wanderers were forced to permanently withdraw from
16616-483: Was also the previous national French rightsholder of the NHL; as a result, the Canadiens forwent a separate regional contract, and allowed all of its games to be televised nationally in French as part of RDS's overall NHL rights. With TVA Sports becoming the national French rightsholder in the 2014–15 season through a sub-licensing agreement with Sportsnet , RDS subsequently announced a 12-year deal to maintain regional rights to Canadiens games not shown on TVA Sports. As
16750-556: Was awarded to the AHAC champion Montreal Hockey Club and thereafter awarded to the league champions, or to any pre-approved team that won it in a challenge. In 1904, the International Hockey League (IHL), based around Lake Michigan , was created as the first fully professional league, which lasted for two seasons. In recruiting players, the IHL caused an "Athletic War" that drained amateur clubs of top players, most noticeably in
16884-482: Was first broadcast on television, with Foster Hewitt calling the action between the Leafs and Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens . The broadcasts quickly became the highest-rated show on Canadian television. Campbell feared televised hockey would cause people to stop attending games in person, but Smythe felt the opposite. CBS first broadcast hockey games in the United States in the 1956–57 season as an experiment. Amazed with
17018-445: Was left off the cup as he did not appear in the playoffs. Ultimately, Van Boxmeer had a tough time making a Montreal lineup that was very deep in talent, and rather than spend the majority of his time in the minor leagues, he requested a trade. He was dealt to the Colorado Rockies in 1976 in exchange for a third round pick in the 1979 NHL Draft , which the Canadiens used to draft Craig Levie . In Colorado, Van Boxmeer finally received
17152-458: Was named president of the NHL in 1946. He remained in that role until his retirement in 1977. For the first 21 years of his presidency, the same six teams (located in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, New York, and Toronto) competed for the Stanley Cup and that period has been called the "golden age of hockey". The NHL featured increasingly intense rivalries coupled with rule innovations that opened up
17286-491: Was persuaded otherwise. In February 1943, league President Frank Calder collapsed during a meeting, dying shortly after. Red Dutton agreed to take over as president after receiving assurances from the league that the Brooklyn franchise he had operated would resume play after the war. When the other team owners reneged on this promise in 1946, Dutton resigned as league president. With Dutton's recommendation, Clarence Campbell
17420-418: Was released in the 2022–23 season, again using the same template but with red relegated to the logo only and featuring a light blue base with white/dark blue/white stripes. The Canadiens' colours are a readily identifiable aspect of French Canadian culture. In the short story " The Hockey Sweater ", Roch Carrier described the influence of the Canadiens and their jersey within rural Quebec communities during
17554-428: Was the first goaltender to wear facial protection, donning it in 1930 to protect a broken nose. He quickly abandoned his mask as its design interfered with his vision. Twenty-nine years later, on November 1, 1959, in a game against New York Rangers Jacques Plante made the goaltender mask a permanent fixture in hockey. The first players' union was formed February 12, 1957, by Red Wings player Ted Lindsay who had sat on
17688-470: Was transferred to George Kennedy of Montreal and the team's record improved over the next seasons. The team won its first Stanley Cup championship in the 1915–16 season . In 1917, with four other NHA teams, the Canadiens formed the NHL, and they won their first NHL Stanley Cup during the 1923–24 season , led by Howie Morenz . The team moved from the Mount Royal Arena to the Montreal Forum for
17822-495: Was widespread outrage over the denial of an expansion team to Vancouver in 1967; three years later, the NHL awarded a franchise to Vancouver , which formerly played in the Western Hockey League , for the 1970–71 season , along with the Buffalo Sabres . On January 13, 1968, North Stars' rookie Bill Masterton became the first, and to date, only player to die as a result of injuries suffered during an NHL game. Early in
17956-407: Was written in 1915, the year before the Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship. The motto appears on the wall of the Canadiens' dressing room as well as on the inside collar of the new Adidas 2017–18 jerseys. Beginning in the 2004–05 NHL season , the Canadiens adopted Youppi! as their official mascot, the first costumed mascot in their long history. Youppi was the longtime mascot for
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