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A Word from the President C O N T E

A Word from the President C O N T E

CANADIENS ALUMNI SPRING 2017

The Greatest Team A Word from the President of all Times Dear members, Following our long lasting tradition, the Canadiens Alumni had a rather active attending several events and lending a helping hand whenever we can. Our younger The members took to the ice with the Habs Alumni Team playing & in diff erent towns across the country (and staying fi t at the same time!). In this the NHL’s 100th anniversary, many of The Alumni Hockey Tour you have taken part in various League initiatives, starting with 24 hnourees on our all-time player list were voted to the NHL’s Top 100 players. Imagine, the Canadiens make up for almost 25% of the leagues best! That is amazing. Congratulations to all those who made it to the list. The Alumni continues to represent the Canadiens organization in the community, supporting various initiatives of the Canadiens Children’s Foundation such as the Annual Blood Drive, the Bleu Blanc Bouge CONTENT outdoor rinks and the Foundation’s Telethon. Despite the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House (!), 1 A word from the President our Centennial Fund has continued to grow and is doing quite fi ne. More details on our investment portfolio will 2 The Greatest Team of all Times be provided to the members a tour AGM in the Fall. 3 The Alumni in the Community We hope that you fi nd the fourth edition of the Alumni Newsletter interesting and that will enjoy reading 5 Habs top the NHL Top 100 players through it. And don’t forget that we are always looking for editorial ideas and stories. We like hearing from you, 6 This’n That so please feel free to contact us either by e-mail or by phone (call Sylvie Nadeau, she loves hearing from you) 8 Where are they now? / Habby Birthdays Summer (fi nally) is upon us but before we get to enjoy the fairways (and sand traps) we have imporant business to take care of: the playoff s are here and we are counting on your support. Let’s go Habs. Everything is possible, remember 1971, 1986 and 1993. Keep in touch I look forward to seeing you in the Bell ’s Alumni Lounge soon. If you moved or if you change your phone Until then, enjoy our playoff run. and/or e-mail address, make sure to let us know Réjean Houle so we can update our fi les and address books. It takes a mere two minutes and it can save us a lot of time. You can forward your coordinates to Sylvie Nadeau at: [email protected] or call (514) 989-2826

Thanks LES ANCIENS CANADIENS SPRING 2017 The Greatest Team of All Times 40 years ago, the Canadiens were beating everyone in their path Football fans will fondly recall the Miami Dophins’ perfect run in 1972, but when it comes to hockey enthusiasts, there’s nothing better than the Canadiens’ 1976-1977 season when the Habs literally dominated the NHL like no other team has done since. Indeed, it was 40 years ago that led the Canadiens of 1976-1977 on a path of victory, wiping out as many records as teams, with a stunning record of 60 wins, 8 losses and 12 ties, for a total of 132 points in the -- 49 points ahead of their nearest rival, the , who reached 83 points that season. The Habs never once lost two consecutive games during the course of the season, and were only defeated once at home. Individual excellence also stood out, with seven of the top 10 most important NHL individual trophies being handed out to Canadiens players. It began with winning the Hart, Art-Ross, Conn‑Smythe and Lester B. Pearson awards, while the goaltending duo of and captured the , won the Norris Trophy, and Scotty Bowman was awarded the Trophy. The trio of Lafleur, and continued to wreak havoc and fear throughout the league, totalling a staggering 316 points and 150 goals (60 for Shutt and 56 for Lafleur). No less than 10 Canadiens players reached the 50- mark while Larocque and Dryden regularly made their best Wall of China imitations during their outstanding performances in front of the team net.

Each game played by the Habs during that season opened a new chapter for the team, which accumulated victories and individual recognition. On March 10, Lafleur notched four assists to help the Canadiens establish an NHL team record with 28 straight games without a loss (25 wins and 3 ties) when they beat the Colorado Rockies 7-1. Several weeks later, on April 3, Lafleur continued his consecutive point-per-game streak by getting his 28th straight point, and setting an NHL record, in a 2-1 win against the Capitals in Washington. The win gave the Canadiens 132 points and established a new NHL record, becoming the first team to win 60 games in one season. As steady as a warship, the Habs sailed into the playoffs, beating the St. Louis Blues in four games, even without the services of , who was sidelined with a back injury. Dryden allowed only four Blues goals in the series while his teammates filled the opponents’ net 19 times. The stronger offered a more convincing opposition, but it was nothing to write home about. Shutt and Lemaire took over, each notching six points to help send the Islanders to an early summer vacation. The proved to be a classic showdown as the Canadiens faced their arch rival , but Lafleur proved to be in fine form, scoring 9 points in four games, with the Bruins swept aside in those four games. On May 14, 1977, a victorious by Jacques Lemaire gave Montreal its 20th Stanley Cup in 60 years in the NHL. The Habs’ domination in the 70s continued for two Celebrating a second straight Stanley Cup championship (from left to right), Larry Robinson, more seasons, resulting in six Cups that decade -- just Steve Shutt, Eddy Palchak, Ken Dryden, , Guy Lafleur, , , like the team had done in the 1950s. and are all smile.

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in the community

Once you’ve hung up your skates, it’s time to relax and take it easy! So you thought!!!! Not if you are a Habs alumnus. We have a great bunch of former players who continue to be generous with their time getting involved in special events and various initiatives from the Children’s Foundation. We just want to take a few seconds to thank you guys for the help you provided over the past few months and to those who’s like to jump on the band wagon, don’t be shy! Fantastic Fantasy Camp Once again it was a dream comes through for hockey enthusiasts and Habs fans alike who enjoyed an unforgettable week end, and amazing time on and off the ice, with their heroes from yesteryears. Alongside Réjean Houle, Chris Nilan, , , and , the guests tested their skills and learned a few tricks from the pros before watching the Habs-Blues game from a private suite on Saturday and traveling to Boston on Sunday to watch the Bruins-Canadiens match-up. Thanks to the Habs Alumni, they guest had an amazing time. Cheers.

The First of Many More It was one heck of an event, one that hockey fans and Habs Alumni are more than likely to repeat in the future. Some 864 players (that’s 144 teams from 19 Montreal boroughs) gathered on the Olympic basin at Parc Jean Drapeau for the first edition of this huge pond hockey tournament played simultaneously on 16 rinks last January 28 and 29. The Montreal Canadiens and the Alumni were once again well represented with Chris Nilan, Steve Bégin, Enrico Ciccone, and . More info on the event at: www.classiquemontrealaise.ca Sherbrooke Kids Welcome Out in the Cold a Bleu Blanc Bouge Rink Making A Difference The Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation inaugurated It was chilly (just ask Alumni President Réjean Houle and Gilbert its 8th multipurpose community rink in Sherbrooke last Delorme) but it’s an annual event the Alumni did not want to January with several local dignitaries on hand as well as miss. Réj and Gilbert spent a few hours out in the cold collecting former Habs Luc Gauthier, Normand Baron, Réjean Houle money and perishable items for a good cause. Great job boys. and who joined Canadiens goaltending coach Stéphane Waite and team mascot Youppi! with his orange fur coat).

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in the community The Laval Rocket It’s . The Montreal Canadiens’ farm team from the is making its way closer to home. That’s because the Laval Rocket (which will replace the St. John’s IceCaps) has decided to make Place Bell in Laval its home for the upcoming 2017‑2018 season. The Rocket’s uniform and logo were unveiled January 31 during a presentation attended by several former Canadiens, including Francis Bouillon, Patrice Brisebois, and Mathieu Darche, as well as Yvan Cournoyer, Réjean Houle and members of the Richard family. Place Bell President Vincent Lucier hinted that the ex-Canadiens would enjoy certain privileges at Place Bell in exchange for their support for the Habs’ farm team, its players and activities. Inspired by the theme, History is Our Fuel, the Laval Rocket jersey combines blue, white and red, which have been the Canadiens’ trademark colours for more than a century, while emphasizing the strong connection between the Rocket and the Habs. The link to the legendary Maurice Rocket Richard is omnipresent, with patches featuring number 9 on each of the sleeves. A graphic flame icon propelling the Rocket’s number upwards is also found below the player’s number on the back and on the socks, drawing a reference to the speed of a propulsing rocket. The Laval logo appears on the shoulders and in the neck area. To learn more about the Laval Rocket, please visit www.RocketLaval.com. Radio TéléDON The Alumni Hockey Tour On yet another road trip the Montreal Canadiens Alumni stopped in Sorel and Blood Drive where hockey fans came out strong to greet the former Habs. Even former The Canadiens Alumni plays a huge role in the tough guy turned guitar player on RDS got an ovation. community and for all former players, it’s one Everyone had a great time. great way to give back and remain involved. This year, with the participation of Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Steve Bégin and Patrick Poulin to name a few, the boys helped raise $130,000 at the Télédon. Working alongside the current Canadiens, the Alumni was on hand at the to greet blood donors and sing autographs. Héma Québec thanks all Canadiens Alumni for their presence. Did you Know That…? With the recent arrival of Nesterov, Benn, King, Ott, Davidson and Martinsen, some 880 players have now played at least one game with the Canadiens in franchise history.

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honours 24 Habs Among the NHL’s top 100 All-Time Players As part of its Centennial celebrations, the NHL unveiled the names of the top 100 all-time players. The Montreal Canadiens are well represented with almost a quarter of the selected all-stars. It is quite an achievement considering that almost 7,000 players suited up in the league since the start of the NHL back in 1917. From Georges Vézina to in goal to the Richard brothers and Guy Lafleur these 24 players all contributed to writing the Canadiens history one shift, one period, one game, one season at a time. Here are the 24 Habs selected among the NHL’s top 100 all-time players:

Jean Béliveau Chris Chelios Ken Dryden Jacques Lemaire Dickie Moore Patrick Roy Yvan Cournoyer Bernard Geoffrion Guy Lafleur Howie Morenz Larry Robinson Georges Vézina

Honour Roll There is nothing like having a Montreal Alumnus being honoured for his lifetime contribution to the game of hockey. It’s no secret that making it to the NHL requires not only skills and talent but a lifetime commitment to hockey. Over the past few months, several Habs Alumni have been honoured by having their jersey retired by their former amateur hockey teams. On January 21, the entire Beauce region paid tribute to their very own hockey stars raising Jesse Bélanger’s jersey to the rafters of the Saint-Georges-de-Beauce arena. Bélanger, who hails from this Beauce town, enjoyed a stellar career in professional hockey in North American and in Europe where he suited up with the Swiss teams of Lausanne, Chaux de Fonds, Biel and with Hamburg and Frankfurt in Germany. On this side of the Atlantic, Jesse played with the Panthers, Canucks, Oilers and Canadiens in the NHL, winning the Holy Grail in Montreal in 1993. Bélanger was an offensive spark plug everywhere he played, recording a total of 413 points in only 298 games. Francis Bouillon is one of players to enter the QMJHL Hall of Fame in April 2017. He will be inducted alongside Brad Richards, Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Gaston Therrien and former official Luc Lachapelle who will enter the Hall posthumously. Bouillon played with the and Granby Predators winning the President’s Cup twice and the in 1996. Bouillon ended his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens. The legendary Scotty Bowman will be awarded the Order of Hockey in recognition for his lifetime contribution to the development and growth of hockey in Canada. Now 83, Bowman etched his name on the Stanley Cup 14 times, including a record nine times as head coach. He owns the vast majority of NHL head coaching records, including regular season wins (1,244), and playoff wins (223). Scotty Bowman will be honoured on June 19, in Saskatoon, at the annual gala of the Foundation.

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this’n that Welcome to the Club Boys The Montreal Canadiens Alumni welcomed two new members over the past few months. (class of 2009) and veteran Travis Moen, who played over 300 games with the Canadiens between 2009 and 2015, have announced their retirement as active players. Travis will now enjoy some time off with his family while Louis chose to return to to earn a degree. Now 25, Leblanc has played in the NHL and in Europe before returning home. Thanks for the momories guys.

The Delormes: Straight From Habs Making Headlines The Canadiens rich history continues to inspire writers the Heart who just won’t stop coming up with new titles to the They say that when it comes to winning at delight of Habs fans and avid hockey readers. On hockey, you have to have heart. In the case November 23, with hockey greats Jean-Guy Talbot, of ex-Canadiens Gilbert Dionne and his wife, Serge Savard, , Yvon Lambert and Diane, they are the epitome of giving from Réjean Houle on hand at the book launch, writers the heart and offering young children hope. Léandre Normand and Pierre Bruneau proudly introduced Delorme, who retired from hockey before their latest masterpiece: « ET LA embarking in the world of doughnuts (he COUPE STANLEY; 24 conquêtes qui font l’histoire». sold his Tim Horton’s franchise) now hosts A beautiful book filled with anecdotes, descriptions, stats a sports radio talk show at 91.9 FM. Being and facts that could be outdated as early as this summer a good listener behind a radio microphone should the Canadiens go on to win a 25th Cup. Let’s hope would soon propel him to embark on a fascinating project with his wife, this prognostic turns into reality. with only one goal in mind: fostering young children. Reading the article at sansfiltre.ca offers a touching glimpse at how the Delormes chose to get involved, not only to provide support for young children, but to give them love and joy while offering a better life through their fostering. The article shows us how this former rugged defenseman is also a man with a tender heart and that behind any good man is a strong woman with a heart of gold. To read the article about Gilbert and Diane Delorme, click here: http://www.sansfiltre.ca/2017/01/23/de-joueur-de-hockey-a-famille- daccueil-par-gilbert-delorme/ Jean Béliveau on the Big Screen First it was Maurice Richard, but now it’s the late Jean Béliveau’s turn to make it to the big screen. Starting March 15, 2017, Historia channel will present dramatic TV series about the life of the legendary Habs , starring Pierre-Yves Cardinal in the leading role, while wife Élise will be played by Madeleine Péloquin. The rest of the cast will include Patrice Bélanger (Boom Boom Geoffrion), Marc Beaupré (Henri Richard), Frédéric Blanchette (Butch Bouchard), Bruno Marcil (Maurice Richard) and Stéphane Crête (René Lecavalier), as well as many others. The series will cover two decades of the “gentleman of hockey’s” life. Between 1950 and 1971, viewers will see the beginnings of Béliveau’s hockey career, when he played with the Québec Citadelles, and then with the Aces, and in his role as captain of the Montreal Canadiens, where he led the team to a staggering 10 Stanley Cups.

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where are they now? Steve Shutt AN EXCERPT FROM PIERRE DUROCHER’S COLUMN was when I made $250,000, but as I often say to my friend IN THE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL Guy Lafleur, it was a nice sum of money at the time. Let’s not forget that the most expensive seats at the Forum went During 13 magical for $25. We might have been naive, but we never thought in seasons with the terms of personal objectives to make more money. Each player Montreal Canadiens, concentrated on doing his job, and mine was to score goals. And forward Steve Shutt that’s what I did!” performed miracles on ice, regularly filling Can you tell us about your recent trip to Russia? up opponents’ nets “I went to Moscow before Christmas to take part in a game with the help of loyal organized to mark the 70th anniversary of hockey in Russia. teammates Guy Lafleur, We had several legends on hand, including Valdislav Tretiak. Peter Mahovlich and Each time he sees me, he makes a gesture with his hand to Jacques Lemaire. Shutt remind me that I beat him on his glove side with a powerful even scored 60 goals in during a game between the Canadiens and the Red Army team 1976-1977. on December 31, 1975 at the Forum.” Over the past 20 years, After a brilliant career in the juniors in , which resulted Shutt has put his career in you being the Canadiens’ first pick in 1972, you didn’t on ice, so to speak. In play much when you started with Montreal. Who helped you fact, his work is now most to evolve with the team? done beneath the ice, as sales manager for CIMCO, an internationally‑recognized “I will never forget what Henri Richard did for me. I was company that specializes in the installation of refrigeration intimidated by the Canadiens’ mythical side, and I didn’t dare systems for ice rinks. take too much room. One day Henri invited me for dinner at his house and he told me that I would have to improve my skating We caught up with Shutt and his wife, Ninon, in the Florida if I wanted to be successful in the NHL. At the age of 38, he suburb of Bradenton, where he talked about his job and shared decided to stay on the ice with me after each practice so that some of his best memories of his hockey career. he could give me some tips. Scotty Bowman then sent me to a The most prolific left in the history of the Montreal specialized school in so that I could develop my speed. Canadiens, Shutt scored a total of 408 goals and 776 points in The only setback was that I had to sacrifice a good part of my 871 career NHL games, and helped his team win the Stanley Cup honeymoon with Ninon so that I could go to this skating school!” five times during the 1970s -- a feat that he is very proud of. Was it easy to play with Guy Lafleur? The need to learn something new “Scotty (Bowman) put me together with Guy and Pete Shutt should also be very proud of his life after hockey. After Mahovlich in my third season and it’s crazy to see how spending four seasons as a radio colour commentator for Habs successful we were together. Pete helped me a lot. We games, working alongside and Mario Tremblay, connected beautifully. Guy was a player who relied on his Shutt joined CIMCO in 1997. instinct and I had to anticipate the play that he was going to make. That just happened to be my strong point. We both had a “I wanted to do something different and when they approached particular shot, which meant that opposing goalies never really me in 1997 with this job, so I accepted, even if I was not familiar knew what to expect. In 1976-1977, everything worked perfectly with this field of work. It taught me to learn something new, the for me, and I ended up with a 60-goal season. I scored a few art of making the best quality ice possible.” goals on lucky rebounds. It was one of those seasons where “Our company has created refrigeration systems for 80 percent everything worked out for us.” of the NHL’s arenas, including 16 of the 18 most recent Have you kept all of your Stanley Cup rings? amphitheatres, and that includes the Bell Centre,” said Shut. CIMCO has helped to install more than 5,000 rinks in the world. “Yes, of course. Those were the most beautiful moments in There is never a shortage of such projects, especially with my career. Last December, my sons all came down to see us in hockey growing in popularity in the United States. Florida and I offered each of them one of my rings. Jason chose the one from 1977 and Aaron took the one from 1979. They really Shutt, meanwhile, is looking forward to officially retiring on liked their Christmas gifts.” July 1 -- the day he turns 65. “I have the opportunity to do it while I am still in good health. I have a lot of friends here in The years are flying by, but the Florida to play golf with. It will be a sweet retirement for me, memories remain, and Steve is under the sun!” quite proud of his career with the Canadiens. He is also very proud of ONE-ON-ONE WITH STEVE SHUTT his two sons -- Jason, 40, and Aaron, What are your best memories during those glory years in 38 -- as well as his granddaughter Montreal, when you hoisted the Stanley Cup five times? Amélia. “What I remember especially is that we had a real solid team. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED I was surrounded by good guys. We played our games to win IN THE JANUARY 27, 2017 ISSUE them, and not just to make money. My highest salary ever OF THE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL

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this’n that Where Are They Now? Tee Off Time! Do you remember Ron Andruff ? The native of Chemainus, B.C. spent three The golf season is upon us (well, seasons as a member of the Montreal Canadiens’ organization suiting up for 211 that would be shortly after the Stanley games with the Voyageurs and six games with the Habs between 1973 and 1976. Cup parade, of course), so gear up An effi cient but low key player, Andruff , who was nominated for the Masterton and get your clubs ready for the 2017 Award, enjoyed a long and successful career in the sports industry after hanging CANADIENS ALUMNI ANNUAL GOLF up his skates in 1982. Ron was Marketing Director of the World Championship TOURNAMENT which will be played Tennis before founding his own sports marketing agency in 1984. He went on to at the Arundel Golf & Country Club set up Dynadx Technologies, a company specialized in rotating advertising boards. on July 13, 2017. More details will be forwarded to all members over the next Ron left the sports business to work in the on-line travel industry from 2001 to few months. Until then keep an eye on 2007. Nowadays he is CEO of dotSport LLC out in Manhattan. the golf ball sales! Obituary John McCormack 1925 - 2017 John McCormack, who suited up with the Montreal Canadiens from 1951 to 1954, passed away on February 22 at age 91. He was the second oldest Canadiens Alumnus, behind Gerry Plamondon. McCormack played 164 games with the Habs registering 37 points including eight goals. He also suited up for 16 playoff games.

Habby Birthdays! JANUARY Chuck Lefl ey (67) Dick Duff (81) Kjell Dahlin (54) Don Aiken (85) Juha Lind (43) Normand Dupont (60) Steven Fletcher (55) Alex Auld (36) David Ling (42) Jonathan Ferland (34) Jocelyn Gauvreau (53) Francis Bélanger (39) Frank Mahovlich (79) Blake Geoff rion (29) (79) Shawn Bell (32) (78) Gaston Gingras (58) Ron Hainsey (36) Radek Bonk (41) (50) Howard Glover (82) Ed Holloway (29) (45) Randy McKay (50) Dany Grant (72) Bronco Horvath (87) Patrice Brisebois (46) Mark Napier (60) (61) Pat Hughes (62) Kent Carlson (55) Dan Newman (65) Sean Hill (47) Ivan Irwin (90) Éric Charron (47) Petteri Nokelainen (31) (80) Doug Janik (37) (68) Mark Pederson (49) Yvan Joly (57) Doug Jarvis (62) Chris Chelios (55) Gérard Plamondon (93) (32) Allan Johnson (82) Raphael Diaz (31) Larry Pleau (70) Alex Kovalev (44) Tomas Kaberle (39) (39) (58) Stephan Lebeau (49) (30) (62) (63) Gary Leeman (53) Patrick Labrecque (46) Mathieu Garon (39) Mario Roberge (53) Al McDonald (81) Mike Lalor (54) Dany Geoff rion (59) Phil Roberto (68) Paul Meger (88) Éric Landry (42) Tom Gilbert (34) Serge Savard (71) Duncan Milroy (34) Darren Langdon (46) Brian Gionta (38) Bobby Sheehan (68) Andy Moog (57) Maxim Lapierre (32) (33) (40) Kirk Muller (51) (69) François Groleau (44) Jocelyn Thibault (42) Steve Penney (56) Claude Larose (75) George Hamilton (78) Scott Thornton (46) Peter Popovic (49) Craig Ludwig (56) (77) Sylvain Turgeon (52) (30) Don Marshall (85) Patrick Holland (25) Lindsay Vallis (46) Yves Racine (48) Ben Maxwell (29) Raitis Ivanans (38) Thomas Vanek (33) Marc Reaume (83) Doug Murray (37) Joé Juneau (49) Jason Ward (38) (49) Brendon Nash (30) Mike Komisarek (35) Johan Witehall (45) (37) Joonas Nattinen (26) Louis Leblanc (26) Richard Zednik (41) Henri Richard (81) Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau (34) (46) Brandon Prust (33) FEBRUARY Denis Savard (56) Stéphane Robidas (40) Reg Abbott (87) Sean Shanahan (66) Ed Ronan (49) David Aebischer (39) Bobby Smith (59) Martin Rucinsky (46) Jozef Balej (35) Jaroslav Spacek (43) Michael Ryder (37) Frederic S-Denis (31) Petr Svoboda (51) Dwight Schofi eld (61) Sébastien Bordeleau (42) Eric Tangradi (28) Gilles Thibaudeau (54) Pierre Bouchard (69) (25) Patrick Traverse (43) Jeff Brubaker (59) James Wisniewski (33) Darcy Tucker (42) Patrik Carnback (49) Perry Turnbull (58) (31) MARCH Vladimir Vujtek (45) Mathieu Dandenault (41) Drayson Bowman (28) Ryan White (29) Dan Daoust (57) Jan Bulis (39) (32) (39)

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