The Montreal Canadiens
(French: Les Canadiens de Montréal
) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The team is a member of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The club is officially known as Le Club de Hockey Canadien
. [1]
French nicknames for the team include Les Canadiens
(or Le Canadien
), Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge
, La Sainte-Flanelle
, [2]
Le Tricolore
, Les Glorieux
(or Nos Glorieux
), Les Habitants
and Le Grand Club
. In English, the team's main nickname is the Habs
, an abbreviation of "Les Habitants". (Note: Even in English, the French spelling, Canadiens
, is always used.)
Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team and the only continuously operating club to predate the founding of the NHL. The franchise is one of the "Original Six" teams, a description used for teams that were part of the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion. With the departure of the Quebec Nordiques in 1995, the Canadiens are the sole NHL team in Quebec. The team's championship season in 1992–93 marks the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup. [3]
The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups (including their first in 1916, before the NHL existed), more than any other team. [4] On a percentage basis, as of 2008, the franchise has won 26% of all Stanley Cup championships contested after the Challenge Cup era, making it one of the most successful professional sports teams of the traditional four major sports of Canada and the United States. [5]
The Canadiens play their home games at the Bell Centre, which was named the Molson Centre until 2003. [6] Former homes of the team include Jubilee Rink, Montreal Westmount Arena, Mount Royal Arena and the Montreal Forum. The Forum was considered a veritable shrine to hockey fans everywhere, [7] and housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships.
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MONTREAL CANADIENS TICKETS
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History
The Canadiens were founded by
J. Ambrose O'Brien on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the
National Hockey Association,
[8] [9]
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.
[10] The team's
first season was not a success, placing last. After the first year, ownership was transferred to
George Kennedy of Montreal
[11] and the team's fortunes 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 to the
Montreal Forum for the
1926–27 season.
In the 1930s, the club started the decade with success with Stanley Cups in
1930 and
1931. However, the club and its then Montreal rival, the
Montreal Maroons declined both on the ice and economically during the Depression. Losses grew to the point where the team owners considering selling the team to
Cleveland, Ohio interests. However, local investors were found and instead it was the Maroons that suspended operations, and several of the Maroons 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 1952 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 fifteen seasons from
1965 to
1979,
with another dynastic run of four straight Cups from
1976 to
1979.
In the
1976–77 season, the Canadiens set a modern-day record for fewest losses by only losing eight games in an 80-game season. The next generation of stars included
Guy Lafleur,
Yvan Cournoyer,
Ken Dryden,
Pete Mahovlich,
Steve Shutt,
Bob Gainey,
Serge Savard,
Guy Lapointe and
Larry Robinson.
Scotty Bowman, who would later set a record for most NHL victories by a coach, was the team's head coach for its last five Stanley Cup victories in the 70s.
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. In 1996, the Habs moved from the Montreal Forum, their home during 71 seasons and 22 Stanley Cups, to the Molson Centre (now the
Bell Centre).
On
December 29, 2008 the Canadiens won 5-2 over the
Florida Panthers to become the first team in
NHL history to reach 3,000 victories.
Centennial celebrations
The Montreal Canadiens retired various uniform numbers as part of its leadup to its celebrations during the
2008–09 and
2009–10 seasons. As part of the scheduled events for 2009, Montreal hosted the
2009 NHL All-Star Game,
[13] and the
2009 NHL Entry Draft.
[14]
Team colours and mascot
The current team colours are red, blue and white. These colours have been used in combination since 1914. The Canadiens' colours are an important part 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 the 1940s.
[15]
The story was later made into an animated short,
The Sweater
, narrated by Carrier.
[16]
A passage from the short appears on the 2002 issue of the Canadian five dollar bill.
[17] [18]
Logo
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 Athletique Canadien,
[19] before evolving to its current form in 1952–53. The 'H' does not stand for 'Habs' or
Habitants; this is a misconception. It actually stands for 'Hockey', as in 'Club de Hockey Canadien', the official name of the team. According to NHL.com, 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."
[20]
Uniforms
The home
jersey (traditionally called a sweater) 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 waist. The main road sweater is mainly white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves and the shoulders are also draped with red. The basic design has been in use since 1914, with the current version dating from 1952. Because of the team's lengthy history and significance in Quebec, the sweater has been referred to as
'La Sainte-Flanelle' (the holy flannel sweater).
Motto
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 was written in 1915, the year before the Canadiens won their first
Stanley Cup championship.
Mascot
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 the
Montreal Expos baseball team, but was dropped from the franchise when they moved to
Washington, D.C. in 2004 and became the
Washington Nationals. With the switch, Youppi became the first mascot in professional sports to switch leagues.
[21]
The terms of the deal was reportedly in the six figures.
[22]
The team has previously had children as mascots who would skate with the team during warm-ups and during intermissions. One notable child mascot was the son of player
Howie Morenz, Howie Morenz Jr. Other mascots were typically the children of players or Canadiens management.
Seasons and records
Season by season results
This is a partial 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, PIM = Penalties in minutes''
| Season
| GP
| W
| L
| T1
| OTL
| GF
| GA
| Pts
| PIM
| Finish
| Playoffs
|
| 2004–05
| Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
|
| 2005–061
| 82
| 42
| 31
| —
| 9
| 243
| 247
| 93
| 1312
| 3rd, Northeast
| Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Hurricanes)
|
| 2006–07
| 82
| 42
| 34
| —
| 6
| 245
| 256
| 90
| 1119
| 4th, Northeast
| Did not qualify
|
| 2007–08
| 82
| 47
| 25
| —
| 10
| 262
| 222
| 104
| 1072
| 1st, Northeast
| Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1-4 (Flyers)
|
| 2008–09
| 82
| 41
| 30
| —
| 11
| 249
| 247
| 93
| 1223
| 2nd, Northeast
| Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Bruins)
|
1 As of the 2005–06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (shootout losses).
Franchise individual records
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
Updated at completion of 2007–2008 season
| 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
|
| Saku Koivu
| C
| 779
| 191
| 450
| 641
| .81
|
Source:
Records - skaters
;Career
- Most seasons: 20, Henri Richard
- Most games: 1256, Henri Richard
- Most goals: 544, Maurice Richard
- Most assists: 728, Guy Lafleur
- Most points: 1246 (518G, 728A), Guy Lafleur
- Most penalty minutes: 2248, Chris Nilan
- Most consecutive games played: 560, Doug Jarvis
;Season
- Most goals in a season: 60, Steve Shutt (1976–77); Guy Lafleur (1977–78)
- Most powerplay goals in a season: 20, Yvan Cournoyer (1966–67)
- Most powerplay goals in a season, defenceman: 19, Sheldon Souray (2006–07)*
- Most assists in a season: 82, Pete Mahovlich (1974–75)
- Most points in a season: 136, Guy Lafleur (1976–77)
- Most penalty minutes in a season: 358, Chris Nilan (1984–85)
- Most points in a season, defenceman: 85, Larry Robinson (1976–77)
- Most points in a season, rookie: 71, Mats Naslund (1982–83); Kjell Dahlin (1985–86)
- Most goals in a season, defenceman: 28, Guy Lapointe (1974–75)
* Indicates a league record.
Source:
Records - goaltenders
;Career
- Most games played: 556, Jacques Plante
- Most shutouts: 75, George Hainsworth
- Most wins: 311, Jacques Plante
;Season
- Most wins in a season: 42, Jacques Plante (1955–56 & 1961–62); Ken Dryden (1975–76)
- Most shutouts in a season: 22, George Hainsworth (1928–29)*
* Indicates a league record.
Source:
Current roster
Updated December 18, 2008. |-
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