Pete Morin

Pete Morin was a star performer with the Quebec Senior Hockey League's Montreal Royals for a decade. For only one season he would appear in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, but he, along with line mates Buddy O'Connor and Gerry Heffernan would "Razzle Dazzle" fans in 1941-42.

Morin, who was only 5-foot-6 and weighed 150 pounds, started his senior hockey career in the 1936-37 season. over the next 5 seasons the playmaking genius developed into a solid player, and exploded in the playoffs. Twice he led the QSHL in post season goal scoring. In fact in 1938-39, he scored just 7 goals in 17 regular season games only to explode with 21 goals and 34 points in 20 post season games!

Morin's line mates were equally as impressive. Heffernan was speedster, while O'Connor was the superstar as history would later show. The trio would lead the Royals to become top contenders for the Allan Cup, Canada's amateur hockey championship, but never landed the title before the outbreak of war. Known at first as the Little Line, a Montreal Herald sports writer dubbed them the Razzle Dazzle Line, a nickname they would take with them to the National Hockey League.

With their team decimated by World War II service and with superstar center Elmer Lach out with a broken arm, the Montreal Canadiens opened the 1941-42 season by winning just one of seven games. Desperate, the team signed the top line of the local senior amateur club on November 28, 1941 for a total of $12,000.

Morin played 31 games with the Canadiens in 1941-42, scoring 10 goals and 12 assists. He suffered an injury had passport problems, preventing him from traveling to the United States for much of the season. But even in that short period of time the Razzle Dazzle line proved they could play in the National Hockey League.

"They are a two-way trio, a whippet threesome who can backcheck and carry," the Montreal Daily Star exclaimed.

"We had to pass the puck around," Heffernan told the Montreal Gazette. "We couldn't shoot it in and go fight for it because we were too small."

But World War II got in the way of Morin's NHL career. The very next season, 1942-43, Morin was in the army, however he was based out of Montreal. In his spare time he played with the Montreal RCAF of the QSHL.

Once the war was over, returning to the Habs was not in the cards that Morin was holding. Instead he played with the Lachine Rapides, of the Quebec Provincial Hockey League, before returning to the QSHL Royals for five more seasons.

His second tenure with the Royals was even better than his first. In 1946, he was named the QSHL's most valuable player. Two seasons later, he led the league in scoring with 34 goals and 57 assists in 47 games. The previous two years Morin led all post season scorers in assists and points.

Morin retired in the summer of 1950 and turned to coaching Laval Nationale, of the Quebec Junior Hockey League in 1950-51. Like his his Razzle Dazzle linemate Gerry Heffernan, he was later very successful as a chartered insurance broker for more than 4 decades.

Morin's athletic skills extend beyond hockey. He holds seven Canadian rowing titles for the Lachine Racing Canoe Club, and was a founding member of the Club Richelieu and l'Association des Pecheurs et Chasseurs du Lac St-Louis.

Morin died on January 5th, 2000. He was 84 years old. The arena in Lachine bears his name in memory.

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Ryan Walter

Ryan Walter was a born leader.

Born in New Westminster, BC, Ryan, one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, played his minor hockey in Burnaby, British Columbia, before going on to play junior in Langley and Kamloops. However it wasn't until he moved to the WHL's Seattle Breakers that Ryan became noticed by NHL scouts. He scored 54 goals and 125 points and he captained Canada at the 1978 World Junior Hockey Championships.

His outstanding play in the WHL prompted the Washington Capitals to select him second overall in the 1978 Amateur Draft. A year later, he was named team captain, the youngest captain in NHL history at that time.

Walter described his style of hockey:

"I was a bit adaptable I think over 15 seasons In the beginning, I think it was I was pretty aggressive and a Rick Tocchet type of player that scored goals and had to sort of play a very rounded game. I played center and wing in those early years.

"Coming into Montreal, early in my time there, I was playing with Guy Lafleur and Doug Wickenheiser and so it was more of an offensive bent obviously. And then, about half way through my time there, I ended up being a bit more of a defensive specialist and that continued through Vancouver."

Walter was a deceptively strong person, with leg power and balance being the trademark of his skating. He was a tenacious checker who was able to drive through his checks. He also possessed a great understanding of the game, and was able to read the play and anticipate his check's moves ahead of time. His vision enabled him to position himself perfectly to break up plays. Never possessing the quick release needed to become a top shooter, Walter was an opportunistic scorer who scored 264 goals in 1003 NHL games.

Walter enjoyed his best NHL season with the Capitals in 1981-82 when he set career-highs in all offensive categories with 38 goals, 49 assists and 87 points. He would be named as the Caps MVP, top player and fan favorite. However playing in Washington was like playing on the moon - you didn't get noticed there no matter how good you are, at least in those days. Ryan was one of the NHL's best kept secrets.

The Montreal Canadiens knew about him however and on September 9th, 1982 traded for him in a blockbuster deal. The Habs sent a young Rod Langway, Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin to Washington for Walter and Rick Green. While Walter and Green performed well for Montreal, the trade would be dubbed by many in the Montreal media as the worse trade the Habs ever made as Rod Langway went on to become a standout on defense, twice winning the Norris Trophy.

Ryan spent nine seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and won his first and only Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1985-86. He helped the Canadiens reach the Cup Finals again in 1988-89.

When Walter left Montreal he finished out his career in his home province playing two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Walter, a devote Christian, was named the Bud Light/NHL Man of the Year in 1991-92 when he was also the Canucks' nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy and an alternate captain for the Canucks.

When Ryan left the NHL after the 1992-93 season, he had seven 20-goal seasons over his career and finished his playing days with 264 goals, 382 assists and 646 points in 1,003 regular season games. He also had 16 goals and 51 points in 113 playoff contests.

Walter has been busy experiencing many new facets of life since retiring as a hockey player. A devout Christian, Walter has been a leading figure for World Vision, Athletes for Kids and Hockey Ministries International as well as many Christian hockey camps. He authored three books: Off the Bench and Into the Game: Eight Success Strategies from Professional Sport, Simply the Best: Insights and Strategies: From Great Hockey Coaches, and Leading Strategies for Winning Teams. He became a motivational speaker, a corporate leadership coach, and dabbled in broadcasting. He served as a technical advisor for the Kurt Russell's Hollywood blockbuster Miracle, making a cameo appearance as the referee. He also became an board game entrepreneur with his critically acclaimed Trade Deadline Hockey.

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Craig Ludwig

Let's start with the obvious - Craig Ludwig was not an offensive defenseman. His skating and mobility were also below the NHL norm. He was a classic stay-at-home defenseman, perhaps the best of his era. He was a hulking 6'3" 220 lb monster who loved to play physically, yet he played remarkably cleanly. He rarely took dumb penalties. In fact he barely average one PIM a game in his career. He made up for his lack of ability with experience and good hockey sense which allowed him to read plays and anticipate what the oncoming attacker was going to do. Mentally tough and poised under pressure, shot blocking was a forte of Ludwig's. Using incredibly thick and wide shin pads (people use to joke he wore street hockey goalie pads for shin pads), Ludwig fearlessly would throw himself in front of any shot. He was a leader in the dressing room and on the ice. He knew his role and played within his own limitations.

Craig was Montreal's third round choice (61st overall) in the 1980 Entry Draft. He had played college hockey at the University of North Dakota of the WCHA. It was a great time for Ludwig, who was part of two NCAA championships in 3 years.

"Being in a school like North Dakota, that at the time was one of the college powers, to see how all the students and everybody reacted to the sport of hockey was a highlight. I was from a real small town and I didn’t realize how big all college sports were, but to go to North Dakota where hockey is their number one sport there was great," said Ludwig. Craig, a native of Rhinelander Wisconsin, also got the opportunity to represent the United States at the 1981 World Junior Championships.

Craig turned pro in 1982 when he came to Montreal's training camp. In those days it was common for rookies to spend a year or two in the minors to develop, especially in Montreal's system. Even greats like Larry Robinson spent some time in the minors before being elevated to Montreal. However Ludwig impressed the Habs so much in training camp that they decided to keep him on that year. During his rookie season with the Canadiens he notched a career-high 25 assists, but no goals. He also showed remarkable composure for a rookie, knowing his limitations and playing a simple game which of course would become Ludwig trademarks, along those big shin pads.

In 1983-84, he scored a career-best seven goals, and tied the career-high 25 points he recorded during his rookie season. But it was 1986 that Ludwig remembers best, as he won his first Stanley Cup. Even after winning another Cup in Dallas years later, the 1986 Habs championship is Craig's career highlight.

"Obviously, the one for me that’s going to stick out is the year that we won the Cup in Montreal in ’86 That whole playoff run that we had, the games that we won, the goals that were scored in overtime, and everything that went into it was one thing. And then I guess for me, was the couple days after when they had the parade in Montreal. I never realized what the game meant to these people in Montreal. Being an American and playing in a Canadian city is one thing, but when you see the people that turn out for this … I was in awe the whole time. Even now when I look back… I’ve got pictures of shots of the parade in St. Catharines Street and the streets that the parade was on, I look at all the people and the people that were climbing up in the lights, the street lights and the things like that, and the cars that got pretty much demolished from going through the parade and everything else. I think that’s something that I’m always going to remember is being part of that, being in that and just looking at all the people and just wondering: ‘What is it, why are you all here for this?’ When you see it, when you look back, you know how important the game is to them.”

Ludwig remained a Hab until the summer of 1990. Fearing that his rugged style of play had put many miles on his body, the Habs felt his career was near completion and wanted to trade him for a younger defenseman while they could still get something for the wily veteran. Montreal traded Ludwig to the New York Islanders in exchange for Gerald Diduck. Of course Ludwig would prove Montreal wrong and go on to enjoy many more years in the NHL, but he did not enjoy his time in New York. He struggled through his worst season in New York, and was the subject of much criticism. The media questioned his attitude and ability, as Ludwig post a career worst -24 +/- ranking.

The problem was Craig had learned to play Montreal's style of defense so well, that he had trouble adjusting to a new system under Islander coach Al Arbour. Montreal stressed that you keep protect the middle of the ice and force the shooter to shoot the puck and then play the rebound. Under Arbour, Ludwig was told to pressure the shooter, thus forcing him to make a play. Unfortunately Ludwig's foot speed hampered his ability to play in Arbour's system. As a result Ludwig would often try to play the Montreal system in New York, even though the rest of the team was playing Arbour's system.

The Isles traded Ludwig to Minnesota in exchange for Tom Kurvers after that ill-fated season. That was a great move for Ludwig as he was reunited with Bob Gainey and soon Doug Jarvis. Ludwig would become an on ice leader once again and help the former Habs develop a winning tradition in the Stars organization, which would eventually earn a Stanley Cup championship of their own. Of course with the guidance of Gainey, Jarvis, Ludwig and eventually Guy Carbonneau, the Stars adopted the old Montreal style of defense under which Ludwig thrived.

After two years in Minnesota, Ludwig moved to Dallas with the entire Stars franchise. Talk about one extreme to another. He cherished his days in Montreal because of how much the people cared about their hockey team, but now Ludwig found himself in the virgin hockey market of Texas of all places. While it took a while for Texans to learn the game, they too eventually appreciated Ludwig's fine play. He was no all star. Heck, scoring more than 2 goals a year was exceeding expectations for him, as it always was. But it soon became obvious even to knew fans just how important Ludwig was to the team's success.

On March 12, 1996, he played in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 110th player to reach that milestone. Not bad for a guy who never expected to play in the NHL.

“From the beginning I was a guy that never expected to make it to the league. I expected to be in the minors.

Of course playing that long is one thing, but Craig managed to stay really healthy over his 17 year career too. How does he account for such durability?

“I think luck. I think you’ve got to be very lucky as far as being healthy. I think you play the game a certain way and I was always taught by my dad that you’re supposed to be the one doing the hitting instead of the one getting hit. You stay healthier that way. So, I think that’s got a lot to do with it. And try to be more of an aggressive player. But like I said, I think you need a lot of luck in there, too, to try and stay away from injuries.”

You need a little luck along the way to winning a Stanley Cup championship too. Hard work and natural talent can only take you so far, you need some friendly bounces along the way too. The Stars got a couple of friendly bounces along the way to winning the Stanley Cup in 1999.

1999 was Wayne Gretzky's last year, but it also proved to be Craig Ludwig's last hurrah as well. While no one would ever confused Ludwig for Gretzky, Ludwig in his own way was a superstar. Just a very underappreciated superstar. He did however benefit from playing one particular system for most of his career, and proved in New York that once out of that system he was in trouble. It just goes to show that many good hockey players fail to live up their billing, not because they're no good necessarily, but more because they are misused.

Craig had no regrets about hanging up the skates, even though he was an unrestricted free agent and likely could have cashed in and have played one or two more years. Instead Ludwig accepted a front office position within the Stars organization.

"It wasn't a hard decision. Winning the Cup made it a lot easier. I never thought I'd play in the NHL, and I played 17 seasons. It's time to move on. This gives me the chance to stay involved with the team."

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Mike McPhee

Left-winger Mike McPhee was one of the most unsung Habs during the 1980s.

Need proof? Three times in a span of four seasons, Mike McPhee was awarded the team's Jacques Beauchamp Trophy as the Canadiens unsung hero. The award, selected by Montreal media since its inception in 1982, has also been handed out to the likes Doug Jarvis, Craig Ludwig and Mike Keane.

McPhee was a solid player all around. The two way workhorse complimented his extraordinary strength with exceptional balance on his skates. For over 700 games, mostly spent in Montreal, he was a dominating force in the corners and along the boards. He was a punishing and relentless hitter who understood his job.

The quintessential third liner, McPhee was a powerful though not particularly agile skater. Though he scored 20 or more goals on 4 occassions, McPhee lacked the puck handling skills to ever become a great player. His tenacity along the walls combined with a great ability to read a developing play often resulted in McPhee breaking up the play and gaining control of the puck. But his hard hands prevented him from doing a lot with the newly found puck, other than bang away at loose pucks close to the net.

Regardless of his puck skills, McPhee was one of the most sought after players in his day. His work ethic was second to none, his defensive positioning excellent and his imposing physical game was intimidating. A favorite of coaches Jean Perron and Pat Burns, the Habs were smart enough to hang on to McPhee as long as possible. With him they won a Stanley Cup in 1986, and made a finals appearance in 1989.

An aging McPhee was finally moved in 1992-93. The team he moved to was very familiar with him. The Minnesota/Dallas Stars, led by Bob Gainey, were looking to acquire as many of the old Habs as possible. Joined by the likes of Russ Courtnall, Craig Ludwig, Brent Gilchrist, and Mike Lalor, their stature helped develop the franchise into a Stanley Cup contender.

McPhee would not last long, however, as doctors suggested he give up hockey after suffering a troublesome knee injury

This proud Nova Scotian should also be recognized as a very intelligent player as well, both on and off the ice. He earned a bachelor of science and civil engineering at RPI before playing in the NHL, and a MBA from the University of Dallas after his retirement.

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Guy Carbonneau

Guy Carbonneau became the standard of defensive excellence in the post Bob Gainey/Doug Jarvis era. The premier defensive shadow in the age of high scoring stars such as Gretzky, Yzerman and Lemieux, Carbonneau was a masterful face-off specialist and a superb shot blocker. And he excelled while his team was shorthanded. An incredible penalty killer, Carbonneau was always out against the other team's power plays, especially in the dreaded 5-on-3 penalty kills.

Born in Sept-Iles, Quebec, Guy played junior hockey with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. At that time players from the "Q" were rarely noted for the defensive play. High scoring games were the norm in the "Q" in the 70s and 80s, and Carbonneau sure did his share of scoring. Guy had a mind boggling 171 goals and 435 points in 273 career games with Chicoutimi. While he was definitely an offensive threat, in his own zone he wasn't exactly the Guy Carbonneau that he would later become.

The Montreal Canadiens did Guy and themselves a big favor when they didn't rush Guy into the NHL. The 44th overall pick by the Habs in the 1979 Entry Draft, Guy spent two full seasons apprenticing in the AHL where he scored 88 and 94 points respectively. However Guy's apprenticeship in the minors wasn't about offense, but defense.

“You didn’t play in Montreal until you learned how to play offensively and defensively, not even Guy Lafleur,” said Ron Low, a former NHL goalie and coach. “Teams don’t teach the right way to play the way the Canadiens once did."

Montreal brought Guy, along with so many other fine players prior to the late 1980s, in slowly to the NHL. Under the guidance of such Montreal greats as Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson and Mario Tremblay, Guy was raised in the mystique of the Montreal Canadiens, something he would later pass on to the next generation of Canadiens.

While Guy learned a lot from his coaches and teammates, he also had the help of some special Habs alumni.

"Just to be able to sit around and talk with Maurice and Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, Toe Blake. . . . When you’re a young guy, that means a lot," Carbonneau said. "When they tell you a story, it’s from the heart. Those guys, they played for the love of the game."

So did Carbonneau.

Carbonneau had the instinct and ability to be a better scorer in the National Hockey League. His hockey sense, soft hands and good wheels should have seen him score more than he did. But Guy was so team oriented that he sacrificed his own point totals for the good of the team. Instead of becoming the next Guy Lafleur, he became the next Bob Gainey

Guy was a consistent offensive contributor, though not prolific. He never scored more than 57 points in a season, but scored at least 50 points in 5 years. He scored at least 18 goals in 9 of his seasons, including a career high 26 in 1988-89.

In total Carbonneau scored 221 goals in 12 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. He was in the prime of his career when the Habs won the Stanley Cup in 1986. For Guy it was his first taste of Stanley Cup champagne. He played a huge role in those playoffs too. In addition to his usual defensive work, Guy contributed 7 goals and 12 points in 20 post season games.

Carbonneau won the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times in his career - 1988, 1989, and 1992 - and was the runner up twice more. Because of his zestful love of the game it came as no surprise that Guy was named as captain of the Montreal Canadiens. In 1989-90 he shared that duty with Chris Chelios and by 1990-91 he assumed the full captaincy role.

After the completion of the regular season in 1992-93, it looked as though Guy Carbonneau's days were numbered. He finished with career lows (at that point) in games (61), goals (4), assists (13) and points (17). It was certainly a season to forget for the aging veteran and speculation was that the 1993 playoffs would be Carbo's last hurrah in a Habs jersey.

However something funny happened that post season. Led by the heroics of Patrick Roy and some timely scoring by the Habs forwards, the Habs unexpectedly advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals where they faced off against Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings. Guy's re-energized youthful play against the Great One rejuvenated his career. Carbonneau shadowed Gretzky all series long and played an important role in the Habs 1993 Stanley Cup championship.

Carbonneau returned the following season and rebounded with 14 goals and 38 points in 79 games. However Guy's advancing age and salary convinced Montreal management to trade the veteran center to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect Jim Montgomery.

Guy played one season in St. Louis, where he played an important role under head coach Mike Keenan. Keenan loved defensive forwards and Carbonneau was a natural fit in Keenan's system. Carbonneau also was teamed up in St. Louis with Esa Tikkanen, another top defensive forward in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

Carbonneau's stay in St. Louis was short however, likely due to his age - 36. The Blues moved him to Dallas in exchange for Paul Broten in 1995.

Going to Dallas was like a Montreal Canadiens reunion for Guy. The Dallas GM who traded for Guy was none other than Bob Gainey, Guy's one time mentor. Behind the bench was Doug Jarvis. On the ice he eventually was once again teaming up with some great Montreal defensive players from the past - Brian Skrudland, Mike Keane and Craig Ludwig.

Don't underestimate the importance of the ex-Hab factor in the Stars 1999 championship.

“There’s a lasting effect on people who learned how to play the game for the old Montreal Canadiens. There’s the tradition, the winning attitude they had. It carries over wherever they go. It gets in your blood, and it trickles down to everybody around them.” says Mike Modano. “The experience, the values they’ve learned rub off on you. How to be unselfish, to be patient, to play with passion has rubbed off on me.”

While many criticized the Stars for acquiring older veterans, the Stars knew exactly what they were doing. They wanted winners to come into their dressing room and teach their team how to win. Winners who would help the Stars win a championship of their own.

Winners like Guy Carbonneau.

"Players like him love the game for all the right reasons," said coach Ken Hitchcock "I don’t care if these games were played in an outdoor rink, it doesn’t matter to Guy. He just loves the game. He absolutely loves it. And he never picks his spots. He just plays. He's a competitive person. Money and the amount he gets paid is irrelevant to Guy Carbonneau. That's why he's an older player who can survive in a young man's game."

Carbonneau and the Stars returned to the Stanley Cup finals the following season, but fell short the New Jersey Devils. At the conclusion of the season, Carbonneau retired.

All told, Guy Carbonneau finished his career with 1318 games played, 260 goals, 403 assists and 663 points. He added 231 post season games where he scored 38 times and assisted on 55 others.

While he was not in the same class as the superstars of his era, Guy Carbonneau will always be mentioned in the same sentence as the Gretzkys, Lemieuxs, Yzermans and Hulls - as the man who shut them down.

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Babe Siebert

Albert "Babe" Siebert was a great hockey player, and an even better person.

Siebert was one of those few players who could do it all - excelling both as a power forward and an all star defenseman. You don't see that any longer! He was as strong as an ox, making him nearly impossible to stop. In addition he added very good skating abilities with good straight-ahead speed. He was very responsible defensively and though he never had the scoring exploits of his famous "S" Line teammates, he was an underrated shooter and a skillful playmaker.

Born in Plattsville, Ontario, Jan. 14, 1904, and played his minor hockey in Zurich, Ontario. He played for Kitchener in the OHA in 1922-23 and quickly elevated to the senior level, playing with Niagara Falls. In 1925-26 Siebert made the jump into the National Hockey League with the Montreal Maroons, just in time to taste sweet victory from the Stanley Cup.

Though Siebert was initially utilized as a defenseman, Siebert quickly earned a reputation as an outstanding left winger when he replaced Jimmy Ward on a line with Nels Stewart and newcomer Hooley Smith. The line was quickly dubbed as the S-line, one of the most famous trios in hockey history.

After several strong scoring seasons, the trio was shockingly broken up in 1932 when the cash starved Maroons traded Stewart to Boston and Siebert to the Rangers. Siebert, who was coming off of a career high 21 goals in his last season with the Maroons, spent 1 1/2 seasons in New York before he was traded to Boston.

It was a unique situation in Boston as Siebert's hated rival Eddie Shore was on the team. The two never spoke and it was obvious they didn't like each other. Earlier in their careers they had a bloody fight in which Siebert administered a beating on Shore, who was allegedly held down by another Maroon.

Unable to recapture any magic in Boston, Siebert was mistakenly written off as being in the twilight of his career. The Bruins moved Siebert to Montreal, though this time he was to play with the fabled Canadiens.

The Canadiens realized that Siebert no longer had the speed needed to excel at forward, so they moved him back to the blue line. The move by coach Cecil Hart was sheer genius, as Siebert was reinvented into one of the league's best players again. Some would argue he was never better.

Siebert, who was also named as team captain, played in 3 seasons in Montreal, being named to the first all star team on defense in all three years. He was also named as the league's most valuable player in 1937, a rarity for NHL defensemen. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to have seen his best days gone by.

Babe Siebert died tragically on Aug. 25, 1939, in St. Joseph, Ontario, as the result of a drowning accident. He was trying to retrieve an inflated rubber tube that had drifted out into the middle of the lake. He was supposed to take over as coach of the Canadiens that autumn.

His death left his family in great financial distress. The NHL stepped in and held a memorial game for him, much like they did for Ace Bailey and Howie Morenz. The proceeds of $15,000 went to Siebert's widow and 2 daughters. This was the third all-star game in NHL history.

That's the kind of person Siebert was. On the ice he was as strong as on ox, but off of it he was a pussy cat.

Sportswriter Elmer Ferguson wrote the following about Siebert the hockey player, and Siebert the man.

"The Babe would become embroiled in fistic battles. Perhaps he would suffer penalties, earn the disfavor of the crowd by his bruising style of play. Perhaps the game would make him seem like a crude and uncouth person, rough and brutal. From the dressing room, the Babe would stride along the promenade until he reached the chair where his fragile bit of an invalid wife sat. Bending down, he would kiss her, then he would gather her up into his great muscular arms, stride out of the rink, and deposit her carefully in a waiting car that would take her home to the kiddies that he adored so much."

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Frank Mahovlich

Frank Mahovlich is one of a very select few who would star with Canada's two most cherished sports franchises, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. He also starred with the Detroit Red Wings.

Starting his career in Toronto, The Big M is arguably Toronto's most cherished hockey hero, yet also one of its most criticized.

The Leafs enjoyed their greatest success with Mahovlich leading the way. He helped them to 4 Stanley Cup championships in the 1960s. Mahovlich was a big man with a long powerful stride that powered himself through the opposing team's defense. Add to that his uncanny stickhandling and an overpowering shot, and Mahovlich was pretty much a perfect hockey player.

In his book Maple Leaf Legends, author Mike Leonetti describes Mahovlich:

"Mahovlich moved like a thoroughbred, with a strong, fluid style that made it look as if he was galloping through the opposition. In full flight, he was an imposing figure. An explosive skater, Mahovlich could spot the right moment to turn it on and burst in on goal. He had a great move where he would take the puck off the wing, cut into the middle of the ice and try to bust through two defencemen for a chance on goal. He didn't always get through but when he did he scored some memorable goals. His style of offence caused teammate Dave Keon to remark: Nobody scores goals better than Frank."

Despite the team's great success and Mahovlich's status as one of the greatest of his day, many believed we never got to see the best of The Big M. Most of his best years were spent in Toronto under boss Punch Imlach. Imlach, who could never pronounce Frank's last name, tried to reign in Mahovlich. He and Mahovlich never got along. Imlach was an old stubborn hockey man who was determined to break Mahovlich, who just shrugged off Imlach's antics, although he secretly hurt for years. Therefore, many believed as good as Mahovlich was, he could have been better under a different coach.

Mahovlich tried to become the player his coach wanted him to become as well, focusing on defense more and more instead of going on the attack at all times. This lead to many fans turning against their hero. They had seen how good he could be, why was he holding back so much?

A talented and diverse athlete (he turned down an offer from the Boston Red Sox organization to play pro baseball), Mahovlich entered the league in 1958. That year he won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, beating out another hotshot left winger named Bobby Hull.

Frank played parts of 12 seasons in Toronto. He was a constant 30 goal threat, topping out at 48 in 1960-61 when he played on a line with Red Kelly and Bob Nevin. In that year he actually reached 48 goals with 14 games remaining. Poised to break Rocket Richard's record of 50 goals, Mahovlich inexplicably went into a scoring slump. When talk around the league should have been about the 23 year old's magnificent season, it was all about his year end slump.

Mahovlich and the Leafs would win the Stanley Cup for three consecutive seasons starting in 1962, and capture a 4th title in the much ballyhooed 1967 season. During this time Mahovlich averaged over 30 goals a year, but there was much criticism of him from coach Imlach and a loud number of the fans who bought into Imlach's campaign. It seemed nothing Mahovlich could do was good enough. Things got so bad that the Big M was actually hospitalized with acute tension and depression, and later would leave the game after suffering a nervous breakdown. Described as a shy and sensitive person, the hockey prodigy paid a high price for hockey stardom.

Mahovlich was dealt to Detroit in 1968 in one of hockey's biggest blockbuster deals. Garry Unger and Pete Stemkowski went with The Big M to Detroit in exchange for Paul Henderson, Norm Ullman and Floyd Smith. In Detroit he was teamed with Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio on a line that would leave goalies sleepless the night before facing the Wings. Relieved from the pressures of Toronto, Frank enjoyed his best season as a Wing. In 1968-69 he scored 49 goals!

Frank's tenure in Detroit was fairly short-lived as in 1971 he was moved to the Montreal Canadiens and helped them to two Stanley Cup Championships thus giving him 6 rings of his own. He also cherished the opportunity to play with his little brother, Peter. Frank averaged 37 goals a season in 3 full seasons in Montreal. Mahovlich was absolutely dominant in the two Stanley Cup seasons he spent in Montreal, leading the team in scoring in the 1971 playoffs and finishing 2nd in the 1973 campaign.

After 3 years with Montreal he jumped to the World Hockey Association with, somewhat surprisingly, the Toronto Toros and later the Birmingham Bulls. In all he spent 4 seasons in the WHA before retiring in 1978.

His effortless style made some fans wonder if he could have been better. 533 goals and 1103 points, 9 NHL All Star teams and 6 Stanley Cup rings tells you just how good he was.

One of the classiest people you'll ever meet, nowadays "The Big M" is known as Senator Frank Mahovlich. In 1998 he was appointed to the Canadian senate by Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

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Georges Vezina

"The Chicoutimi Cucumber," known for his relaxed style in a tense game, was one of the game's early great goaltenders. But you probably already know that since the memory of Georges Vezina is forever etched in hockey history, as his name perpetuates the trophy annually awarded to the NHL's outstanding goaltender

Born in 1887, Georges grew up around the game of hockey. His parents, the local bakers, bought the local rink which allowed Georges to become the ultimate rink rat. He grew up playing goal in his boots, not an uncommon tactic in those early days. In fact, it was not until Georges was 18 that he learned how to skate.

Vezina was discovered in an exhibition match between his Chicoutimi team and the already famed Montreal Canadiens. He performed spectacularly against the "Flying Frenchmen" in a 11-5 Chicoutimi victory, impressing them so much that he became the Habs starting goalie later that year. Joseph Cattarinich, the Habs goalie at the time and soon to be part owner, was so impressed that he persuaded the Canadiens new owner, George Kennedy, to sign Vezina

In the era when goaltenders were prohibited from falling on the ice to stop or cover the puck, Vezina bravely stood tall in his net blocking shots during his brilliant 15 years from 1910 to 1925, playing in 328 consecutive games. With Vezina in net, the Canadiens won two NHA championships (the NHA was a forerunner to the NHL), three NHL regular season titles and two Stanley Cups.

His first great success came in 1915-16. The Habs sported a high powered offense led by Newsy Lalonde and Didier Pitre, and of course Vezina in net. The Habs captured the NHA championship and faced off with the Portland Rosebuds of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association for the Stanley Cup. Vezina was said to be instrumental in the Canadiens very first Stanley Cup championship.

Vezina and the Habs returned to the Cup finals in 1917 and 1919, losing the first and never deciding the second due to an influenza epidemic.

Vezina and the Habs had to wait until the spring of 1924 to return to the Stanley Cup, knocking off NHL Ottawa, PCHA Vancouver and WCHL Calgary in what proved to be Vezina's last championship.

Also known as the "Silent Habitant," Vezina was a man of few words who never drank or smoked. He ran a tannery business back in Chicoutimi while he played with the Habs. He fathered 24 children, although only 2 reached adulthood.

Frank Boucher, the legendary New York Rangers player and coach, remembered Vezina in awe. "He was the coolest man I ever saw, absolutely imperturbable. He stood upright in the net and scarcely ever left his feet; he simply played all his shots in a standing position. Vezina was a pale, narrow-featured fellow, almost frail-looking, yet remarkably good with his stick. He'd pick off more shots with it than he did with his glove.

Perhaps it was the acceptance that Vezina was usually pale and frail looking that prevented everyone, not even his family, from knowing that Vezina was seriously ill.

In what to proved to be his last game on November 28th, 1925, Vezina collapsed during the first period, bleeding from the mouth. He tried to return to the game, only to be forced to leave again. Only then did everyone learn he was battling tuberculosis. Unable to play the game he loved, it was reported he went into a deep depression. Four months later Vezina passed away.

When the Hockey Hall of Fame was founded in 1945, Georges Vezina was one of the first 12 players immediately inducted.

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Gump Worsley 1929 - 2007

Hockey fans know there's only one man known as Gump.

Lorne "Gump" Worsley was hockey's hard luck goalie for over a decade before joining the Montreal Canadiens. Nicknamed for his likeness to cartoon character Andy Gump, Worsley was one of hockey's greatest characters. A seemingly happy-go-lucky soul would bravely stand in his net, collecting over 200 stitches and claiming "my face is a mask."

Born in Montreal in 1929, Worsley grew up in extreme poverty. The great depression left his family penniless, but this did not stop Gump from dreaming of becoming a big league goalie. Worsley, who had to borrow equipment for much of his youth, did not dream of playing for Montreal Canadiens. Instead he admired Frank Brimsek of the Bruins and Davey Kerr of the Rangers.

Employing the old stand-up style of netminding, Worsley advanced from the Verdun Cyclones junior team, he would turn pro in 1948 as a New York Ranger farmhand. Despite numerous All-Star seasons with several teams in several leagues, it wasn't until 1952-53 that Worsley got a shot at the NHL. Rangers starter Chuck Rayner was injured for much of that season, and despite a last place finish Worsley impressed enough to earn the Calder trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

The short and stocky Worsley never would have expected what would happen next. The following season the NHL's best rookie never had a chance to play. Instead he was sent to Vancouver of the old Western Hockey League. While earning a league championship and top goalie and MVP awards with the WHL Canucks, Worsley watched his replacement in New York, Johnny Bower, flounder.

1954-55 saw Worsley return to the Big Apple for the next decade, though that wasn't necessarily a positive thing. The Rangers continued to be completely hapless, surrendering nightly onslaughts of 30 and 40 shots a night, leading the quotable Worsley to term his experience there as a "jailhouse." A reporter once asked Worsley which team game him the most trouble. Gump quickly answered, "The Rangers."

Gump came across as loveable and admirable on the ice and in the eyes of the public, but he actually suffered from depression and alcoholism during his tenure in Manhattan.

After ten years of being a live target with the Rangers, Gump was traded to the defense-oriented Montreal Canadiens. The trade salvaged Gump's legacy as a loveable goalie on a terrible team to a legacy of Stanley Cup championships and a Hall of Fame nod. Worsley backstopped the Habs to Stanley Cup championships in 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68 and 1968-69. He was selected to the NHL's First All-Star Team in 1968 and to the Second Team in 1966. Worsley and partner Charlie Hodge shared the Vezina Trophy for lowest goals-against average in 1965-66. Gump and Rogie Vachon shared the same award in 1967-68.

Early in 1969 he suffered a nervous breakdown due to his petrifying fear of flying, the new norm in NHL travel thanks to western expansion. His career seemed to be over, but the expansion Minnesota North Stars took their chances with the goaltending icon by picking up his rights. The 40 year old goalie returned in 1970, playing some of his best hockey ever. His enthusiasm helped the Stars get into the playoffs for three straight years.

Gump ended up playing in 24 seasons, allowing a 2.91 goals against average in 862 games, and recorded 43 shutouts. Elected into the Hall of Fame in 1980, Gump was not only one of the greatest players, but one of the games most likeable characters.

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Jean Pusie

In 2006-07, Minnesotans have gone wild in the shootout. Mikko Koivu has emerged as the league's game ending leader, scoring a league high 6 goals on 10 shots so far. Teammate Petteri Nummelin has also emerged as an expert, scoring 4 times in as many opportunities. His goals tend to be of the artistic variety, pleasing many fans.

In the 2005-06 it was the Dallas Stars who mastered the shootout, led by defenseman Sergei Zubov and especially Jussi Jokinen, who at the time of this writing has gone 14 for 18 in shootout competition (plus a successful regulation penalty shot). If Nummelin scores artistic goals, Jokinen scores spectacular with a touch of flair. Watching Jussi Jokinen in the shootout has become an event as much as an Afinigenovian rush, an Ovechkin break or a Phaneuf hit..

Jokinen more than any other player has been tagged as hockey's first "shootout specialist." While the shootout is new to the NHL as of 2005, penalty shots certainly are not.

According to prolific hockey author Brian McFarlane, one of the earliest NHL penalty shot experts was Jean Pusie. However he certainly was not chosen for his scoring ability, but more for his unbelievable antics.

In his Original Six series book "The Bruins," McFarlane described the Pusie penalty shot.

"He made each shot an event. First, he would stand at center ice and comb his thick hair. Then he would take a lengthy windup, skate slowly in on the waiting goaltender, stop in front of the nervous chap, take off a glove, and shake his hand. It was if to say, 'My poor fren'. I am ver' sorry I must now make you look embarras' in front of all these people."

Naturally, the crowd would be in an uproar. Hometown fans serenaded Pusie with a huge cheer, while in foreign rinks he'd hear deafening boos.

Another whirlwind windup would follow and this time Pusie would take his shot. If he missed and his detractors booed, he was known to circle the ice, find an opening, and leap in among the spectators, looking for those who dared to critique his penalty shot performance.

While there is no record on just how many penalty shots Pusie took (in those days the coach could choose any player to take a penalty shot), it likely wasn't many, in the NHL at least. Pusie did take an unsuccessful shot against Toronto's George Hainsworth on November 19, 1935, but otherwise the 6'0" 210lb defenseman only played in 61 NHL games and scored only a single goal. While he did get his name on the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1931, Pusie was a well travelled veteran of the minor league circuit better known for his side-show eccentricities than his hockey ability.

A sloppy skater who "clowned and brawled his way onto and off 17 teams, sometimes more than once, over the course of his 17-year pro career." He could barely carry the puck without keeping his eye one it, but for those who saw him he was simply unforgettable.

One story has a fan throwing an orange at him. Pusie responded by peeling the orange and eating it on the ice.

Another story has him scoring a goal on a shot that was so hard that the goalie's glove ended up discarded in the net. Pusie dove into the net and, with a showman's bow, presented the glove back to the rightful party.

The Pusie legend grew Christmas night, 1936. His unnamed opponent had enough and exited the ice, ran down the corridor, through the main lobby and out the front entrance and across North Main Street to the North Burial Ground. Pusie followed in hot pursuit, but was the only one to return.

Now if all of these antics sound a little too much like WWE than hockey, you're certainly not wrong. Pusie doubled as a professional wrestler. He was inducted into the Slam! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame. Despite his size and showmanship, Pusie never amounted to much inside the squared circle either. Slam! describes him as "never more than a journeyman wrestler, a curtain-jerker in Montreal and Toronto. About his biggest accomplishment in the ring was getting a cauliflower ear."

Besides professional wrestling, Pusie was also an occasional professional boxer, a semi-pro baseball player and a lacrosse player.

But mostly, he was a showman.

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Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Damphousse was one of those players that the Toronto Maple Leafs should have never let get away.

Damphousse was an extremely valuable skater - being able to play both left wing and center with equal efficiency. He was an extremely clever player who somehow has always made those who played with him better. His puck control and passing were only matched by his superior hockey sense.

Damphousse broke in with the Leafs in 1986-87 after a spectacular junior career with the Laval Voisins. In his final year in Laval, Damphousse scored 45 goals and an amazing 110 assists for 155 points in 69 games. Add 36 points in just 14 playoff games, and Damphousse was one of the top prospects in the 1986 Entry Draft. He ended up joining the Leafs as the 6th overall selection. Hindsight is 20/20, but aside from Brian Leetch and perhaps Adam Graves, many would say Damphousse was ultimately the best player in that weak draft class.

Damphousse joined a weak Leafs team immediately, and showed promise. In his first year he scored 21 goals and 46 points in the 1986-87 season - a season which gave Leaf fans their first glimmer of hope in many years. The team seemed to be getting deeper in talent, and even made it to the second round of the playoffs.

The Leafs were never really able to take their game to the next level in Damphousse's tenure, however. Damphousse became a key member of an exciting foursome of scoring stars in Toronto - Ed Olczyk and Gary Leeman worked well together, often with rugged Mark Osborne on the left side. Damphousse was a key member of the second line along with Daniel Marois. Peter Ihnacak and Tom Fergus often served as that duos center.

Over Damphousse's 5 years in Toronto, the talented winger and the team suffered from similar problems. Damphousse was streaky in his younger years. For example, he started the 1988-89 season near the top of the league scoring race with 7 goals and 10 games, but followed that up with just 8 in his next 30. He ended with a respectable 26 goals and 68 points, but somehow Leaf fans always wanted a bit more out of Damphousse.

Vincent was able to put it altogether in the 1989-90 season when he scored 33 goals and had 94 points. He dazzled everyone at the NHL all star game when he was named as the game's Most Valuable Player thanks to a record tying performance. Damphousse notched 4 goals - equalling an all star game record shared previously by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux (and later equalled by Mike Gartner). Even better, the Leafs returned to the playoffs, although they were dropped swiftly.

Damphousse and the Leafs were unable to duplicate their fine year the following season. Damphousse fell to 73 points, although to be fair that did lead his team in scoring and he was one of the better players. Gary Leeman fell from 51 goals to just 17. Daniel Marois fell from 39 goals to 21, and really struggled when he and Damphousse were broken up due largely to an injury decimated lineup. Wendel Clark played as close to a full season as he could for the first time in several years, although he wasn't the same Wendel as he was before all the injuries. Al Iafrate and Ed Olczyk were both traded away, as was half the team. The Leafs failed miserably, despite Damphousse's good play.

As shown the previous season, the Leafs management were in a hurry to clean house, and Damphousse himself was traded away. In 1991-92 he joined Edmonton in a package deal which saw the Leafs acquire the legendary Glenn Anderson and Grant Fuhr. Damphousse led the Oilers in scoring that season but was then moved on to his hometown where he played with the Montreal Canadiens in 1992-93.

Coming home was a great chapter of Damphousse's career. He was born in Montreal and grew up not far from the Montreal Forum and idolized the charismatic Guy Lafleur. It turned out to be a great move for Damphousse as he spent 7 wonderful seasons in Montreal highlighted by a Stanley Cup victory in 1993 and later being named captain of the fabled team. He was also asked to represent Canada at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

In 1999 Damphousse, on the verge of unrestricted free agency, was traded to the team he would ultimately sign with - the San Jose Sharks. He'd spend the next 5 years in California, playing a big role in making the team a Cup contender prior to his retirement in 2004.

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Toe Blake

Toe Blake should be remembered as one of the greatest players of all time, as a three time Stanley Cup champion and as a great captain of the Montreal Canadiens. However his success as a coach has completely overshadowed his successes as a player.

After an incredibly successful amateur career which included a Memorial Cup Championship, Hector Blake (nicknamed Toe because as a kid his little sister couldn't pronounce his name correctly and instead called him "Hectoe") joined the Montreal Maroons. He rarely played with the M's, and three years later was dealt across town to the Montreal Canadiens for goalie Lorne Chabot in what amounts to highway robbery in terms of hockey trades.

Blake, a competive, viscious and often profane player who grew up idolizing Howie Morenz, exploded with the Habs. Winning the NHL scoring title in 1938-39 and the Lady Byng Trophy in 1945-46, Blake was for several seasons an integral part of one of the NHL's greatest lines, the Punch Line with Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard. How good was that line? In 1944-45 the trio finished 1-2-3 in the NHL scoring race, and all three were named to their respective First All Star Team positions.

It was often said that Blake had a special relationship with Rocket Richard. The quieter Blake was very opposite from the fiery Richard, but he had a good understanding of how the Rocket operated. Blake employed his uncanny understanding both on the ice as a player and behind the bench as a coach to help Richard achieve greatness that has rarely been equaled.

Blake himself scored 235 goals and 527 points, played on two Stanley Cup winners and won the Hart Trophy in 1938-39 as the Most Valuable Player. The five time all star was forced to retire in 1948 with a broken leg.

Blake would then turn his efforts to coaching. He took over the reigns of the Montreal Canadiens in 1955 and remained behind the bench until 1968. In that time he coached 914 games, winning 500, losing 255 and tying 159 for an astounding winning percentage of .634. More importantly he guided the Habs to 8 Stanley Cups, including 5 in a row in the late 1950's, an unheard of feat.

With his trademark askew fedora, it is the image of Blake behind the bench that has been remembered.

"Toe was the ultimate coach," suggested John Ferguson, one of Blake's prized pupils. "He had a memory like an elephant and he treated the players like men. He had a great feeling for the game and could mastermind behind the bench in a way nobody has ever been able to. Maybe (Scotty) Bowman can nowadays, but Toe, Toe was just too smart."

In 1987 Blake was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. He survived the inescapable disease for eight years, dying of pneumonia, a common complication of Alzheimer's, on May 17, 1995.

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Bobby Smith

Bobby Smith was born in North Sydney, Nova Scotia but his family had moved to Ottawa by the time he was 2 years old. Ottawa would become a special place for Smith.

After developing through the Ottawa minor hockey system, Smith graduated all the way to the OHL where he would play for the hometown 67's. At the time he was the second most talked about junior phenom of his day. Some kid named Wayne Gretzky was getting even more attention.

While Gretzky only played one season in the OHL, Smith went on to become perhaps the best player the "O" had ever seen. In three years he tallied 158 goals, 227 assists and 385 points in 187 games. In his final year of junior he scored an OHL record 192 points including 69 goals and 123 assists. That same year Wayne Gretzky, who was two years younger, scored 182 points with the Soo Greyhounds.

The stats do not tell all about Smith's junior career. With Gretzky off to the WHA, Smith became the most sought after junior prospect. At his size, 6'4" and over 200lbs, many scouts preferred Smith over the smaller Gretzky. Smith was named the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year in 1978 and was a Memorial Cup All Star the year before. And he had great character, as he maintained straight As in high school and later at the University of Ottawa, where he studied chemistry and psychology, while playing with the 67s.

Being the most attractive prospect at the NHL draft meant the obvious - Smith was destined to be the #1 overall draft selection by the league's cellar dwellers - the Minnesota North Stars. He was selected ahead of other junior standouts like Ryan Walter and Bill Derlago.

Minnesota would have no regrets in taking Smith with their pick. Within 3 seasons the Stars went from worst in the league to Stanley Cup finalists. Smith was a big part of an exciting young team that also boasted Neal Broten, Dino Ciccarelli and Craig Hartsburg.

Smith won the Calder Trophy in his rookie season. He scored 30 goals and 74 points while playing in all 80 games. Despite his strong play the Stars missed the playoffs, but showed marked improvement over their last place finish the year before.

Bobby was a big part of the Stars return to the playoffs in 1979-80. While battling through an injury shortened 61 games, Smith scored 27 goals and 83 points to lead the Stars to the post season. And the Stars didn't just make the playoffs, but performed great in them, surprising many teams. Smith himself only scored 1 goal but added 13 assists in 15 games. While he took some heat for not scoring more himself, his tremendous playmaking and play without the puck was a huge part of the Stars quick turnaround.

While some were calling the Stars playoff run of 1980 a fluke, Smith and the Stars proved that wasn't so in 1981. The Stars not only duplicated their previous run but bettered it by reaching the Stanley Cup finals against the defending champ New York Islanders. While the upstart Stars were little match to the powerful Islanders, everyone had a new found respect for the youthful Stars, and particularly Bobby Smith who led the team with 25 points (8 goals, 17 assists) in 19 playoff contests.

Smith's best season came in 1981-82 when he notched career highs in all major offensive categories: 43 goals, 71 assists and 114 points. Despite winning the Norris division the Stars were quickly bounced from the 1982 playoffs by Chicago.

However things would take a turn for the worse for Bobby and the North Stars following that disappointing playoff result. The Stars fired their coach and hired Bill Mahoney as the new head coach. Mahoney apparently had his own agenda and wanted to make a name for himself. Smith's wife Beth explains:

"This guy (Mahoney) came in and decided he'd show everyone who was boss, starting with Bob." As a result, Bobby's ice time was cut dramatically and so too his production, though it remained at a point a game clip. However the new head coach's style did not complement Bobby's style well and it wasn't long before the two locked heads.

"I put up with it for a while" explains Bob, "but at that age I was pretty impatient and eventually I just said 'Enough. Trade me to a team that appreciates me, or I'll quit and go back to school.' "

The Stars felt Smith's threat was real and complied with his trade demand. They traded the gigantic forward to Montreal in exchange for Keith Acton, Mark Napier and a draft choice (Ken Hodge Jr.). It was a great match for Smith. Montreal was relatively close to his old stomping grounds in Ottawa. It was also a great experience from a hockey standpoint.

"For me, just to see the older guys coming around was a thrill: Dickie Moore, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Plante, occasionally the Rocket or Henri. Heck it was a thrill to be on the same ice as guys like Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson. I loved Montreal; I mean, there I was, in the prime of my career, in the greatest hockey city in the world, with the greatest organization, close enough to home that my dad could come down for the games, all my games on TV, Beth (his wife) in her home town...."

Smith continued to play strong two way hockey for his 6 1/2 seasons in Montreal. But by far his best season would have been 1985-86. He posted 31 goals and 86 points (he posted better numbers - 93 points - in 1987-88 with Montreal) and helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup. It was a surprise Cup victory for Montreal and a special feeling for Bobby, as it would be his only Cup championship.

Towards the end of Bobby's days in Montreal, it appeared as though his best days were well behind him. He slumped through an injury plagued 1989-90 season. He only scored 26 points in 53 games. The Habs traded the devalued Smith back to Minnesota for a draft choice on August 7, 1990. It was a homecoming for Smith, although the Stars had never really been the same since the day they traded him.

Smith continued to play 3 more seasons in Minnesota. He struggled to post respectable numbers but was a standout as always in the playoffs. In fact in 1992 he helped power the North Stars back to the Stanley Cup finals before bowing out to might Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith scored 8 goals and 16 points in 23 games. It was almost like the old days a decade earlier.

Smith announced his retirement just days before his last game in April of 1993. Four months later he was refocused on his new goal - school.

Smith was an extremely intelligent person and had always been a great student and had intended to go to University all along. He took classes at the University of Minnesota during his off seasons and enrolled full-time after retirement to complete his business degree. He earned his B.S. and MBA degrees from Minnesota's Carlson School of Management between 1993 and 1996. He later went on to hockey management including being the general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes.

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George Hainsworth

George Hainsworth played brilliantly for 11 seasons in the National Hockey League. No season was more brilliant than the 1928-29 season.

Hainsworth allowed only 43 goals in a 44 game schedule and recorded a remarkable total of 22 shutouts. Amazingly, his team only won 22 games that season. That's right! If Hainsworth did allow a goal, the Montreal Canadiens would not win. They finished with a 22-7-15 record. Hainsworth posted a miniscule 0.92 GAA and captured his third consecutive Vezina Trophy.

He turned professional with Saskatoon of the Western Hockey League in 1923-24 and remained with that team until 1926-27, where he was an immediate sensation with the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. Replacing the beloved late Georges Vezina, Hainsworth won the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons with the Canadiens, playing behind such greats as Howie Morenz and Aurel Joliat. In a combined 132 consecutive games played, Hainsworth posted a 76-32-24 record and an amazing 49 shutouts. In those three seasons he posted a combined 1.20 GAA.

The 1929-30 season saw rule changes such as forward passing in order to increase offense. Goaltender statistics were the victim, and Hainsworth was not spared. In the new NHL his GAA ballooned to 2.42. He once again led the NHL in shutouts, but this time with only 4.

The only blemish on Hainsworth's record was his lack of success in the playoffs. This changed in the new NHL, as Hainsworth backstopped the Habs to back-to-back championships in 1930 and 1931.

In 1933-34 he was traded to Toronto in exchange for Lorne Chabot. Despite twice leading the league in wins and taking his home town Leafs to the 1935 Stanley Cup finals, Hainsworth never truly found the same success as he had in Montreal. He remained there until 1936 when a young Turk Broda ousted him. After a short comeback stint with Montreal, he retired from the game.

He enjoyed 11 solid seasons in the NHL. Not bad considering he started out as a 31 year old rookie. He retired with a career 1.91 GAA, the lowest in history (shared with Alex Connell). His 94 career shutouts were an NHL record until Terry Sawchuk surpassed him in 1963-64. Although his statistics were greatly aided by the pre-1930 rules, there is no doubt George Hainsworth was one of the greatest goalies of his era.

Despite that status, Hainsworth was almost apologetic for his lackluster style. While some goalies were quite acrobratic, Hainsworth preferred the stand-up style that blocked pucks.

"I'm sorry I can't put on a show like some of the other goaltenders. I can't look excited because I'm not. I can't shout at other players because that's not my style. I can't dive on easy shots and make them look hard. I guess all I can do is stop pucks."

Following his playing days he would go on to become a very popular politician, but died prematurely on Oct. 9, 1950, in an auto accident.

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Yvan Cournoyer

For those who got to witness Yvan Cournoyer apply his trade live and in person knew they were seeing something special. One of the best skaters and stickhandlers ever to grace a sheet of ice, Cournoyer played with an affection for the game of hockey that was as obvious as it was rarely matched.

Yvan joined the Montreal Canadiens during the 1964-65 season and by the time he retired in 1979, he had run up an impressive array of offensive statistics. He scored 25 or more goals 12 consecutive times in his career which was marked with consistency and championships.

But in his first years Yvan was used exclusively as a power play specialist. As a rookie he scored seven goals in 55 games. In his second year (1965-66) Yvan scored 16 of his 18 goals on the PP. The following season he scored 20 of his 25 goals with the man advantage. Yvan eventually scored over 150 power play goals during his NHL career.

Toe Blake, then coach of the Canadiens, wasn't satisfied enough with Yvan's defensive skills to give him a full-time job.

The French faithful didn't understand why Blake didn't play him more. They were constantly chanting "We want Cournoyer".

Blake would stalk behind the bench, his eyes blazing in anger.

"Why don't they let him alone?" he would snarl. "They're putting pressure on him and they're hurting him. They're hurting the team."

Blake was trying his best to keep the pressure off the young Yvan.

Earlier Blake had sent him down to AHL for a seven game stint which made a deep impression on Yvan.

"I knew then that the only place to be was with the big team," Cournoyer said. "I guess I always knew that, but it had never occurred to me that I might not be a part of it. When I got back, I said to myself, 'Yvan, this is the only place to be and you are going to work hard to be here.' Maybe it was then that I started to mature. Toe kept harping at my defensive play, and I kept working on it"

His best years were in the 1970s, when he had two forty plus goal seasons. Perhaps the finest moment in his career came in the playoffs in 1973, where he scored 15 goals in 17 games and was the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the MVP of the NHL's playoffs. The six time all star would taste sweet champagne from Lord Stanley's silver chalice an incredible 10 times in his career.

Despite his small size physically, Cournoyer was one of the strongest and most uncatchable skaters of all time. Nicknamed "the Roadrunner", Yvan's explosive acceleration on the ice often actually worked to his physical disadvantage at times.

"I played on my speed," Yvan once explained. "When you do that, injuries have got to happen. Imagine if you had a car that you only ran at full speed or a racehorse that you raced every day. If you're going at 100 percent all the time, something has to give every so often."

Yvan was not only fast but was also an impressive stickhandler, and had a booming slap shot that was deadly accurate. Yvan was actually a pretty tough player and was never intimidated by bigger stronger players.

"I was never the kind of guy who was going to hit first. But if a guy dropped his gloves I didn't back down."

That of course didn't happen very often since Yvan recorded only 255 penalty minutes during his NHL career, an average of 17 minutes per season, and had only 47 minutes in his 147 playoff games.

Yvan was a great leader and would be the Canadiens captain during their glory years of the late seventies. He wasn't a vocal leader but he let his on ice performance do the talking.

"It was certainly an honor to be named the captain. I was never a vocal leader, a guy who yelled or gave advice. I guess my teammates looked at me as the veteran and that they felt my experience would make me a capable captain," Yvan said.

Those qualities of speed, skill and leadership were very evident in the Summit Series against the Soviet Union in 1972. Yvan made several clutch plays.

In the second game of the series Yvan went on to score a dazzling goal, leaving the Soviet defenseman flatfooted and in shock as he raced in from his wing to beat Vladislav Tretiak. It turned out to be the winning goal.

Yvan remembers the play very well and still jokes that the Soviet defenseman must have caught a cold given the fact how fast he flew by him.
In the crucial eighth game, he scored the tying goal midway through the third period paving the way for Henderson's dramatic series winning goal late in the game.

In the 1975 Super Series, the Soviet Red Army team met the Canadiens on New Year's Eve in what was considered one of the greatest games of all time. Yvan played great that night, scoring one goal and setting up another. Had he been more lucky he could have scored a couple more. The Red Army defenders tried desperately to keep up with the Roadrunner during the game. Not surprisingly, he was named one of the game's three stars along with team mate Peter Mahovlich and Red Army goalie Tretiak.

Yvan was still flying when a back injury would fell him during the 1977 season. Yvan had an operation on March 14,1977 to remove a disc from his lower back. He returned in 1978, but it was clear he had lost some of his speed, which limited his effectiveness. He would be sidelined again with back problems in 1979. He seemed to be the Roadrunner of old when he returned for the 1979-80 season, but he found the pain in his back re-occurring and decided to retire rather than risk more permanent injury.

Yvan Cournoyer is considered to be one of the best right wingers of the seventies. In 16 seasons of play, Cournoyer established himself as one of the premier forwards in the NHL, scoring 428 goals and 435 assists in 968 games.

Yvan was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

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Butch Bouchard

A giant, monstrous defenseman of his era, or any era for that matter, Butch Bouchard was a standout with some strong Montreal Canadiens teams. The former Habs captain played much like a modern day Derian Hatcher or Zdeno Chara, although he lacked the mobility of the modern game.

A Montreal native, Bouchard never dreamed of playing for the Canadiens. In fact, he never owned his first pair of skates or hockey equipment until he was 16. Growing up very poor in the midst of the Great Depression, Bouchard would rent skates (5 cents) for games and simply would go without equipment other than a stick. If he couldn't find a nickel, he would be the goalie in his boots.

At age 16 he took a huge family loan of $35 so he could acquire the necessary equipment to play junior hockey in Verdun and later with the Jr. Canadiens. He was a highly coveted player because of his unbelievable size and strength. He played in the NHL at 6'2" and 205lbs, which was giant-like in the 1940s NHL. He wasn't just naturally big, but incredibly strong. Since his early teens he enjoyed weight-lifting. Without the money for proper equipment, he would press railway ties with added steel plates and bale wire for weight. In a time when weight training was almost unheard of in the NHL, Bouchard was hockey's strongman.

"It was like he was chiseled out of stone," remembered Dickie Moore. "He had biggest shoulders and smallest waist I had ever seen."

Bouchard joined the Habs in the midst of World War II. He was exempt from military duty because in his late teens he was considered an irreplaceable farmer, as he showed his entrepreneurial side by producing and selling over 100,000 pounds of honey a year all while playing hockey and attending school. Bouchard, who would start one of Montreal's most popular restaurants later in his hockey career, kept the revenues from the apiary to build a house for his parents and family. So stingy was Bouchard that instead of paying for transportation for the 50 mile journey from his home to St. Hayacinthe for training camp, he rode his bicycle.

And what an impression he made. In his first training camp he did not shy away from physical play, hammering even Montreal's most respected veterans.

"I wanted very much to make that team."

He did make the team as a rookie in 1941-42, quickly earning himself a reputation as a hardnosed and energetic rearguard, even though he was a plodding skater.

"I was a determined, enthusiastic, young fellow in those days" recalls Bouchard many years later. "That's what you need to make a success in life. You work hard, you're enthusiastic, and very disciplined at your game."

That attitude won him many fans in Montreal's brain trust, and they stayed with him despite his poor skating. Bouchard worked very hard at studying the game and learning the perfect positioning and to play within his limitations. As a result, he became of the game's all time best.

And with those words, Bouchard carved out a nice career for himself.

It wasn't until 1942-43 that Bouchard became a key player in Montreal, coinciding with the departure of star rearguard Ken Reardon to military service. By 1943-44 Bouchard was a top the hockey world, being named to the Second Team All Star squad on defense. He would be a first team all star the following 3 years. By 1947-48 he was named captain as the legendary Toe Blake had to step down to injuries. He continued to be an important part of the Habs' great success until 1956 when injuries finally forced him out of the game.

"Age caught up with me. I was 36. With a bad leg I was surprised I played that much. According to the doctor I should have quit when I was 29 years old."

The knee injury really slowed Bouchard.

"I wanted to play" said Bouchard, who took the then-unusual step of buying a stationary bike to rehab his knee. "I had been an all star 5 times before the injury. After I got hurt, I couldn't make it. I was playing good hockey but not all-star outstanding."

In his later years he split his year between sunny Florida in the winter and his son's farm in the summer. His son is Pierre Bouchard, who of course went on to be a physical defenseman in the NHL himself, though not as good as his dad.

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Henri Richard

Getting your name engraved on the Stanley Cup is every Canadian boy's dream. Very few achieve this dream. In fact, many of hockey's greatest stars never tasted champagne from Lord Stanley's mug such as Gilbert Perreault, Brad Park, or Marcel Dionne, to name just a few. Henri Richard has his named engraved on the Stanley Cup. In fact, he has his named engraved a record 11 times! Only Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics can match that claim to most professional team sport championships.

When Henri showed up at the Montreal Canadiens training camp in 1955, many speculated it was nothing but a publicity stunt. Bringing in Rocket Richard's kid brother seemed like nothing but a gimmick. It soon became clear that it was not a stunt.

Once told that he was too small by none other than former Montreal great Elmer Lach (Lach was Richard's junior coach) Henri was a creative center who combined skill and leadership to be one of hockey's true legends for two decades.

While many fans expected Henri to be a replica of his brother Maurice, the two were different types of players. Maurice was a powerful monster who struck fear in the hearts of the opposition. Henri too struck fear in the opposition, but with his incredible stickhandling and skill. He was quick as a hiccup, probably an all around better skater than Maurice. He was strong, though not as over powering, and determined though controlled.

Hall of Fame defenseman Fernie Flaman had a unique memory of Henri as well.

"One of the things he used to when he went wide on me was lean into me and actually grab my knee. We'd both go down, and I would get the penalty for holding, because it was impossible to see what Henri was doing! It used to drive me crazy!"

Henri also earned a reputation as one of hockey's most relentless forecheckers of all time.

Great Montreal general manager Frank Selke Sr. agreed with that completely. "I have been blessed with a lot of great stars over the years. But game in, and game out, Henri Richard may have been the most valuable player I ever had.

Head coach Toe Blake had the best view to watch each of these siblings. "The Pocket became a better all around player than Rocket was. But its asking an awful lot of any man to be the scorer that Rocket was. He was the greatest scorer under pressure that I've ever seen."

Perhaps Henri best sums up the difference between him and his more famous brother.

"My brother's biggest thrills came when he scored many goals. I am most satisfied when I play in a close game and do not have any goals scored against me. Sometimes people have asked me whether it helped or hut having Maurice as an older brother. It was not easy, because many people expected me to be as spectacular as Maurice. But I believe it also helped me as well as hurt me. Don't forget, Maurice was a great scorer, and he could get goals that many other players could not get. That helped my passing because I knew that he would always be near the net waiting for a shot. But Maurice never gave me any advice. I never asked him for it and he never really offered it. "

There is no comparing Henri Richard to his brother Maurice. The Rocket is an immortal legend, the image of the Quebecois, the Montreal Canadiens ultimate icon. Henri, no matter what he accomplished, was always the little brother.

And Henri, who was fine with the lack of attention, accomplished a lot.

In fact, most people don't realize Henri was a far more complete player than Maurice, and one of the best two way players of all time. While Maurice was busy scoring spectacular goals, 544 compared to Henri's 358, Henri lasted longer (20 seasons compared to 18), played more games (1256 to 978), scored more points (1046 to 965), scored more playoff points (129 to 126) and, most importantly, won more Stanley Cups (11 to 8).

For a man with his bloodlines and with the good fortune to play in Montreal, Henri Richard knew he was a fortunate soul. But no one worked harder for their good fortune. One of the smallest players in NHL history, he had to overcome his brother's immense shadow, prejudice against his size and a lack of English early in his career. But Henri let his play on the ice do the talking for him.

Not unlike Toronto's Dave Keon, the undersized pivot faced off against the opposition's top gunner every night. In doing so he was as instrumental any figure in any of Montreal's championships in the 1950s and 1960s.

He was also a leader. Just ask Jean Beliveau.

"Henri was definitely a leader, even before he became captain. His leadership came from his determination on the ice and the fact that he was a team player."

He and Beliveau provided the perfect one-two punch down the middle, much like a modern day Gretzky-Messier, Lemieux-Franics or Yzerman-Fedorov combination.

Henri was one of the last greats from Montreal's Original Six glory years to retire. Before he did, he was named captain and had a great impact on many of the young stars that would lead the Habs to glory later in the 1970s, most notably Guy Lafleur.

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Patrick Roy

He imposed his style on the game, and legions of hockey fans and goalies everywhere were grateful. It is not just that his method was effective, that the revolutionary quick drop-n-slide of a pad could stone the wickedest snap shot. Roy's way was also fun, dramatic, cocky, marvelous, at times even beautiful. Far beyond the statistics, Patrick Roy entertained us and thrilled us while he emerged so dazzlingly as the best.

Many of hockey's historical experts will tell you that Patrick Roy is the greatest goaltender of all time. With all due respect to the likes of Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, Glenn Hall and Dominik Hasek, the stats are convincing.

Roy retired in 2003 as the goaltending leader in regular season games played (1,029), minutes played (60,235), career wins (551), and most career 30-win seasons (13). He won three Vezina trophies, five Jennings trophies, and six All Star nominations. He had a career .910 save percentage and 2.54 GAA, not to mention 66 career shutouts. He is the only goalie in NHL history to win over 200 regular season games with two different teams.

But forget about all the numbers. Unlike many goalies, Patrick Roy's greatness was not about numbers. His greatness lies in moments, in memories.

Most of those memories came in playoff competition. The only numbers Roy cares about are his four Stanley Cup rings, two with Montreal and two with Colorado.

In perhaps his most memorable quote, during the 1996 Western Conference semi-finals between the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks Jeremy Roenick, who scored on this particular night, said, "I'd like to know where Patrick was in Game 3, probably up trying to get his jock out of the rafters." Roy retorted with his now-famous line, "I can't hear what Jeremy says, because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears."

While he was very good in the regular season, it was in the playoffs that St. Patrick worked his miracles.

Again the statistics are all on his side. He owns records for most career playoff games played by a goaltender (247), minutes played (15,209), most career playoff wins (151), and most career playoff shutouts (23).

To say he was instrumental in each championship is an understatement. He was the first three-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's most valuable player.

Born on the exact same date as Mario Lemieux, Roy started his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted him 51st overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft from the Granby Bisons. Right from his rookie season Roy earned his reputation as a special, if cocky, goaltender. He led the Canadiens to an unexpected Stanley Cup championship in his rookie season. At the age of 20 Roy became the youngest player in the NHL's history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The Canadiens were ecstatic to once again have a French Canadian superstar. Despite not having the same caliber of previous Montreal teams, Roy took the proverbial torch from the likes of Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur and carried Montreal's Stanley Cup hopes on his solitary back.

In 1989, 1990, and 1992 Roy won the Vezina Trophy. He won the Jennings Trophy (least goals allowed) in 1987, 1988, 1989 (all shared with Brian Hayward), 1992, and 2002. He led the league in shutouts and goals against average twice, was named a First Team All-Star three times, a Second Team All-Star twice, and played in eleven All-Star games.

His best performance was saved for 1992-'93. The Canadiens fielded what seemed to be a fairly average team. To remain competitive, Patrick took the team on his back, winning 31 games and entering the playoffs with momentum.

Things did not look promising early on in the 1993 playoffs. The Canadiens lost their first two games to their archrival Quebec Nordiques in the first round. Nordiques goaltending coach Dan Bouchard, who had been Roy's boyhood idol, proclaimed that his team had solved the mighty Roy. These comments seemed to fire up Roy, who responded by winning the next four consecutive games against the Nordiques. Roy didn't stop there. He swept the Buffalo Sabres in the next round, and winning the first three against the New York Islanders to complete an NHL record eleven postseason game winning streak.

Roy met Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings in the finals that year, and spoiled The Great One's Californian championship party. Vivid memories of that series include Roy stoning Luc Robitaille and arrogantly winking at Tomas Sandstrom after another impressive save. In true cocky form, Roy confirmed that during a tight game 2, he told his teammates "just get one, because I'm not going to give them any." And he didn't.

Roy set a record during the postseason with 10 straight overtime wins to capture Montreal's most unexpected Stanley Cup championship in modern times. Needless to say, Roy was once again name the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. His performance that post season may have been the best individual playoffs in hockey history.

All seemed well in Montreal until December 2nd, 1995. After letting in nine goals before being pulled in the third period, he blasted rookie coach Mario Tremblay for leaving him in the game and making him look so bad. Before taking a seat when he was finally pulled, from the bench and in front of television audiences the fiery Roy told team president Ronald Corey that this was his last game in a Canadiens uniform and demanded to be traded. A few days later he was inconceivably traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

Traded along with Mike Keane in return for Andre Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky and Jocelyn Thibault on December 6, 1995, a new era in the Patrick Roy history book was underway. Joining a team which already boasted Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Claude Lemieux, Roy would guide the former Nordiques to a Stanley Cup title in their first year in Denver.

Part of Canada's Olympic team in 1998, Roy went on to play in eleven All-Star games and won three Vezina Trophies throughout his illustrious career. Early in the 2000-01 season, he surpassed legendary Terry Sawchuk in career wins with a total of 447, a number most fans thought was once untouchable.

His play in Colorado is almost as legendary as his time in Montreal. In particular, the Avs-Red Wings rivalry is a great memory of Roy's career, particularly his fights with goaltenders Mike Vernon and Chris Osgood, and his not-always-successful but always entertaining wandering around the ice with the puck. Perhaps most notable was his Statue-of-Liberty save off of Steve Yzerman. In true showboating form, Roy stood up and raised his glove high in the air to proclaim he had the puck. The only problem was Roy didn't realize the puck was lying in his crease as Brendan Shanahan coyly poked it in.

In 2001 Roy was at his best once again, leading the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship and Roy's fourth. He was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for a remarkable third time, and therefore cementing his reputation as the greatest clutch goalie in hockey history.

Although he smirkingly tries to avoid the topic, Roy was one of the few players who really changed the face of hockey.

Firstly, there was his trademark equipment adjustments. Many will credit, or blame, Roy for the NHL's need to crackdown on goaltending equipment by the turn of the century. Roy was known not only to experiment with big padding, but he also liked to wear a grossly oversized jersey. The idea was that while crouching down, his untucked-in-the-back jersey would catch anything that would go through his legs. Others claimed Roy tried to use webbing in his underarms to catch pucks. Roy also experimented with large catching gloves, and cleverly was the first goalie to specifically paint his goalie pads so that the padding nearest to his 5-hole was white. Roy knew that shooters often only have a split second to get off a shot, and this would create an illusion of an opening that did not really exist.

Secondly, Roy perfected the butterfly style of goaltending. Glenn Hall introduced it in the 1950s and 1960s, and Tony Esposito used it with great fanfare in the 1970s, but it was not until Roy's influence that it became the predominant if not only school of goalie thought even until this day.

No where was Roy's impact felt as strongly as in his native Quebec. French-Canadians in particular, maybe even the entire nation of Canada, no longer wanted to be Rocket Richard, Jean Believeau or Guy Lafleur when they grew up. They now wanted to be goaltenders. He made such an impact on the position that not only did they want to be goaltenders, but they wanted to be like Patrick and play the way he played. Suddenly goaltending became the glamour position. No longer was the worst athlete on the youth team pushed into a life of goaltending because of his inability to skate. Now, Quebec coaches had their pick of great athletes to use as the goaltender, each looking to become the next superstar from the province.

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