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 season attending several events and lending a helping hand whenever we can. Our younger The Laval Rocket 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 Centre’s Alumni Lounge soon. If you moved or if you change your phone number 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 Montreal 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 head coach Scotty Bowman 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 Norris Division -- 49 points ahead of their nearest rival, the Los Angeles Kings, 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 Guy Lafleur winning the Hart, Art-Ross, Conn-Smythe and Lester B. Pearson awards, while the goaltending duo of Ken Dryden and Michel Larocque captured the Vezina Trophy, Larry Robinson won the Norris Trophy, and Scotty Bowman was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy. The trio of Lafleur, Jacques Lemaire and Steve Shutt 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-point 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 Stanley Cup playoffs, beating the St. Louis Blues in four games, even without the services of Yvan Cournoyer, 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 New York Islanders 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 Stanley Cup finals proved to be a classic showdown as the Canadiens faced their arch rival Boston Bruins, 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 overtime goal 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, Peter Mahovlich, Guy Lafleur, Doug Jarvis, Bill Nyrop, like the team had done in the 1950s. Murray Wilson and Mario Tremblay are all smile. 2 LES ANCIENS CANADIENS SPRING 2017 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 Montreal Canadiens 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, Yvon Lambert, Gaston Gingras, Francis Bouillon and Doug Gilmour, 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, Mathieu Dandenault and Patrice Brisebois. 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 Jocelyn Thibault who joined Canadiens goaltending coach Stéphane Waite and team mascot Youppi! with his orange fur coat). 3 LES ANCIENS CANADIENS SPRING 2017 IN THE COMMUNITY The Laval Rocket It’s official. The Montreal Canadiens’ farm team from the American Hockey League 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.