Doug Risebrough

I never got a good close up look at Doug Risebrough as a hockey player until his later days with the Calgary Flames. Though I missed much of his role with 4 Stanley Cup championships as a Montreal Canadien, the beauty of Doug Risebrough is he always played the same, day in, day out, pre-season or game 7.

Doug Risebrough played with tons of heart and determination, and with a hatred for losing which no doubt was nurtured during his days with the Habs. In Montreal he learned how to win and how not to accept anything less, something he was always able to take with him and make him a better leader.

A leader he was. He captained the Flames to their first Stanley Cup appearance in 1986, only to fall just short to his old Montreal Canadiens teammates. Risebrough was an essential cog in the Flames rise from also rans to contenders in his 4 seasons there.

Risebrough was a very physical player, playing much bigger than his 5'11" and 170 lb frame should have allowed. He would hit anything in an opposing jersey, never afraid to get his nose out of joint. Risebrough would pay for this, however, missing significant time in 6 of his 13 seasons, including his final four in Montreal, leading to his trade to Calgary. Among the serious injuries on his medical charts are badly separated shoulders which would lead to early arthritis, a severe groin/abdominal pull, and career ending knee surgery.

While physical, Risebrough walked the line from chippy to dirty. He was amongst the best pests ever in the game. I experienced Risebrough at his pesky best during those great post-season Battle of Alberta wars between the Flames and Edmonton Oilers. I remember him receiving a 6 game suspension for swinging his stick at the head of Glenn Anderson. And of course who can ever forget him using his skates to slice Marty McSorley's jersey to pieces.

Don't get me wrong, Riser was a very good player, too. He was an exceptional skater, blessed with speed and balance and agility. Enhancing his skating abilities was his ability to read the play as it was happening. Best applied defensively, he could anticipate what the opposition was going to do, and break up plays using his vision.

Risebrough was a penalty killing specialist. Firstly he had outstanding arm and wrist strength, making him one of the best on faceoffs. Throw in his anticipation and skating skills and Riser was a natural born PKer. Because of his breakaway speed he was always a short handed threat to score.

Risebrough was never a noted scorer. He never scored more than 23 goals or 60 points, and, largely due to injury, rarely challenged those career highs. He didn't have the hands to match his anticipation skills, so when he turned over the puck he wasn't the greatest offensive threat. He had a hard wrist shot and could use his teammates well if given that extra second.

I subscribe to the theory that Risebrough could have been a better offensive player if he ever was given the opportunity. To crack that dynastic Montreal team in the late 1970s Riser had little choice other than to accept his role as pest, face off and defensive specialist. He was able to establish himself as one of the best at his trade and by the time he left for Calgary, he was destined to fulfill that role forever.

Forced off the ice because of the knee injury, Risebrough became general manager and coach of the Flames. He was burned badly by the Doug Gilmour for Gary Leeman trade, forever overshadowing his accomplishments as GM in Calgary. He would later become the long time GM of the Minnesota Wild.

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Rick Chartraw

Every Canadian boy grows up dreaming of playing in the National Hockey League and hoisting the Stanley Cup above their head. However the vast majority of those Canadian kids never realize that dream.

In Venezuela, no one, with the exception of maybe the Canadian embassy workers, has ever heard of the Stanley Cup. So how is it possible that a kid from Caracas Venezuela make it to the NHL and hoist that magnificent trophy over his head 4 times?

During the 1950s the government of Venezuela embarked upon a rapid expansion and modernization restructuring plan. Foreigners were brought in to aid in the construction of the infrastructure. Rick Chartraw's father, an engineer, was among those recruited to move to the South American country.

The Chartraw family left he USA and spent 4 years in Caracas and gave birth to Rick. There was certainly no visions of hockey rinks when this kid was born!

After 4 years the Chartraws returned to the USA, finally settling in Erie Pennsylvania. It was here where Rick was introduced to the game of hockey.

"We lived kind of out in the country. There was a pond about a block from my house where a number of kids played hockey during the winter. I remember the first time I skated. I didn't know what to do, I'd never skated before. I was half a mile out and all the kids skated away from me. So it was either sit down and freeze to death, or learn how to skate to catch them. I learned how to skate real quickly!"

Rick took the game as quickly as he took to skating. Despite taking up the game later than many kids, Chartraw caught the eyes of junior scouts. By the time he was sixteen he moved to Kitchener Ontario where he played with the OHA's Rangers for three seasons.

Chartraw not only played well in Kitchener; he excelled. In his final year the 6'2" 200lb defenseman scored 17 goals and 61 points in 70 games while accumulating 150 PIMs. Scouts were drooling over his size, his toughness, his mobility and his scoring abilities. The Montreal Canadiens drafted the Venezuelan born Chartraw 10th overall in the 1974 entry draft. Chartraw was selected ahead of Bryan Trottier, Mark Howe, Danny Gare and Tiger Williams, among others.

It took Chartraw 3 years before he cracked that incredibly deep Montreal blue line. In fact it's a testament to Chartraw's skill level and determination that he managed to make the team at all. With a blue line consisting of three future Hall of Famers in Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard and Larry Robinson, as well as at different times future US Hall of Famer Bill Nyrop and youngsters such as John Van Boxmeer, Rod Langway and Brian Englbom, its hard to see how Chartraw saw any ice time at all..

At best he was a number 4 defenseman on this dynastic squad, but often was number 5 or 6. Sometimes he was even used on right wing! He was basically used in defensive situations, penalty killing and just for spotting the big three when they needed a break. His combination of size and strength and mobility made him a nice addition to the Habs. He never came close to fulfilling any offensive potential he had. His best year was in 1978-79 when he had 5 goals and 16 points. But then again no one playing behind Robinson, Savard and Lapointe would have gotten many points!

Chartraw may have been a bit player on the Habs teams of 1976 through 1980, but what a time to be a part of the team! The Habs won 4 consecutive Stanley Cups and is considered to be one of if not THE greatest team of all time..

The Canadiens traded Rick to Los Angeles in 1981. Rick was beginning to experience a serious back problem that would limit his ice time for the remainder of his 3 years in the NHL. He bounced from LA to New York to Edmonton before hanging up his skates to pursue other endeavors.

Rick's post-hockey career included the real estate business and owning a small Californian marina before becoming an arena consultant.

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Pierre Bouchard

Imagine trying to play in the NHL in the same city as your legendary Hall of Fame father. To make matters even tougher, imagine doing that in the city of Montreal! That's what Pierre Bouchard successfully did.

The son of legendary Emile "Butch" Bouchard, Pierre Bouchard was able to carve out his own NHL legacy, much of which was with the same club his father led to four Stanley Cups. But Pierre was able to outdo his father and helped the Habs capture captured five Cup championships!

Pierre Bouchard, much like a chip off the old block, was a big, stay at home defensemen who was a key part to the Montreal teams of the Disco Decade, though his style of play didn't earn him the accolades from the fans and media that so many others received. The ultimate team player, Pierre's coaches and teammates all appreciated his sacrificial contributions.

A first round choice, fifth overall, by the Canadiens in the 1965 Amateur Draft, Bouchard made his NHL debut with Montreal in 1970-71. And what a first season it was for Bouchard. He was one of eight rookies on the Canadiens who helped the club shock the hockey world as they captured the Stanley Cup that year. Pierre would play 8 seasons with the Habs, capturing the Cup in 1973, 1976, 1977, and 1978.

After eight seasons with the Canadiens, Bouchard joined the Washington Capitals for the 1978-79 campaign via the waiver wire. The two teams actually tried doing each other a sneaky favor which would have saw Bouchard moved back to Montreal after the waiver draft, but NHL president John Ziegler refused the transaction. After initially sitting out and mulling retirement, Bouchard played parts of four seasons with the Capitals before deciding to retire in 1982. He actually spent most of his final season in the minor leagues with the Hershey Bears.

Pierre scored 106 points in 595 regular season games as well as 13 points in 76 playoff games. He would later become very active in the Montreal Canadiens alumni association and worked on French television broadcasts. He was also a popular fixture on a Montreal sports radio program.

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Marcel Bonin

Marcel Bonin enjoyed his best years in Montreal, scoring 68 goals and 205 points in 280 games between 1957 and 1962 while winning 4 Stanley Cups. Often playing the role of mucker and defensive conscience on a line with Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geoffrion, it is often forgotten that Bonin started his career jumping between the minor leagues and the NHL with both the Detroit and Boston organizations.

Marcel Bonin was a very solid player, but not a true front-liner. He was feisty and physical, good at retrieving pucks in corners and scrums. Though he never had dominating scoring statistics, he had decent enough hands to make a nice pass after securing the puck from a battle. He was very versatile, able to play either wing and a nice fit with several line combinations.

Bonin averaged about 15 goals a season, but he could have scored more. Interestingly, the following Bonin quote suggests he didn't really want to score more.

"I reached my yearly average. I scored 15 goals like in the previous years. If I score 19, they will expect 25 for next year. I don't want to get into that. So...for the next 7 or 8 games, I'll be the playmaker but you score the goals. It's over for me."

That definitely wasn't the case in the 1959 playoffs. The left-winger had the greatest moments of his career as he led the playoffs in goals with 10, four more than anyone else, in 11 games. Three of his goals were game winners. He scored 7 goals in the first round against Chicago and added another three, including the championship winning goal, in round two against Toronto.

Bonin had a reputation as a solid playoff performer, but his scoring outbreak was nothing short of incredible. Much like a modern day John Druce or Chris Kontos, Bonin's hot streak was a blip. Though he was a nice piece of 4 Stanley Cup championships, Marcel Bonin would only score 1 goal and 10 assists in 39 other career NHL playoff games.

The tenacious Marcel Bonin is fondly remembered for one other "sport" besides hockey. "L'ours de Joliette" - "the bear of Joliette," his hometown, was known to wrestle bears for show. Bonin told the story to Brian McFarlane for his book "The Habs."

"When Joe Louis, the heavyweight boxing champion, retired, he went with the circus because even after all those big fights he had no money. He was a kind of referee, a guy who talked people into wrestling this bear. He said he'd give $1000 to anyone who could put the bear down. And lots of people came and tried.

"Well, I was about 16 and I said, 'I'm gonna go.' So I left my home in Joliette and I wrestled that bear. But he was big and strong and I couldn't put him down.

"But I wouldn't give up. I went to Three Rivers and a lot of other places and I wrestled that bear lots of times. After a while I got to be buddies with that bear. He was a big brown bear with a muzzle and no claws. In lots of towns in Quebec people still remember Marcel the bear wrestler.

"When I got into hockey with Detroit, Marcel Pronovost told a lot of people about my bear-wrestling and they made a big story about it.

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Charlie Hodge

Charlie Hodge almost seemed born to play goal.

Growing up in the 1930's and 1940's in Lachine, Quebec, Charlie took an early interest in the game on ice. But his father, John, knew he was too small - he would grow to be only 5'6" and 150lbs - to be an effective forward or defenseman. So he encouraged Charlie to take to the nets. John built a net in the basement and would fire countless tennis balls at his on. The hard work paid off, as Charlie Hodge became one of the best goaltending prospects in all of Canada. He would sign on with the Montreal Canadiens organization and starred with the Jr. Canadians, leading them to the Memorial Cup in 1950.

John would teach Charlie to be a stand-up goalie.

"Because of my size, I couldn't afford to go down. (Montreal coach) Toe Blake used to holler, 'Get up! Get up! every time you went down."

Hodge would turn professional in 1953, and would dominate the minor leagues. Unfortunately for Hodge and other goalies like him, most famously Johnny Bower, the NHL standard practice in those days was still to carry one goalie, and there was only 6 NHL teams. Big league jobs were hard to come by, especially when Jacques Plante was the incumbent in Montreal. For the next 10 years Hodge was rarely given a shot at the NHL. The worst part was his father John did not live long enough to see Charlie persevere into a NHL goaltender.

His pro debut was storybook to say the least. He led the IHL with 10 shutouts and a 2.34 goals against average for the Cincinnati Mohawks and led them to the IHL championship. He also played for Buffalo of the AHL (3 games) that year.

When Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacques Plante was injured in 1954-55, Hodge was called up and did well in the 14 games as his replacement, and was even tried in the playoffs.

He was sent to the minors again for two seasons before Plante was again out of action in 1957-58, and Hodge was again sharp in 12 games for the Habs. Hodge would accompany team but not play in the playoffs, but still got his name on the Stanley Cup. It was the first of 4 engravings for Hodge.

When Plante was stricken with a case of boils late in 1958-59, Claude Pronovost and Claude Cyr were not the answer and Hodge was called up from the Montreal Royals to do the goaltending.

In 1959-60 Hodge played in exactly 1 game with the Canadiens all year, but that was enough to get his name on the Stanley Cup a second time. Rules for minimum number of games played were not in existence back then.

In 1960-61 Plante was injured again and Hodge took over in goal. He played so well that some writers suggested that Plante may have trouble displacing him. The Habs finished first that year and Hodge made a substantial contribution. In 30 games he was 18-8-4 with 4 shutouts and 2.47 GAA in his first real stint in the NHL.

Despite his successes, he then played two years for the Quebec Aces of the QHL. Hodge finally got his break in 1963-64 when Gump Worsley, who had been obtained for Plante, badly pulled a hamstring muscle. Hodge was called upon to take over the net. There was no getting Hodge out once he got in, as he had a great year, finishing 33-18-11 with a 2.26 goals against average and led the NHL with 8 shutouts and won the Vezina Trophy. This was unquestionably Hodge's moment of glory as he would never quite recapture this moment when he was exceptional.

He made the second all-star team the next year, but lost his starting job to Worsley who shined in the Stanley Cup playoffs as Montreal won their first Stanley Cup since 1960. In 1965-66, Hodge was again the backup for an even sharper Worsley as they shared the Vezina Trophy. Worsley was in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP as the Canadiens won their second straight Stanley Cup.

Worsley and Hodge had an interesting relationship. Hodge's unofficial nickname was "Twitchy", tagged on him by an irritated Gump Worsley. At first, Hodge and Worsley were roommates on the Canadiens and Hodge had a habit of changing the channel every time a commercial came on when the two goalers watched TV in their hotel room. Worsley explained in his autobiography THEY CALL ME GUMP: "Every time a commercial came on he would change the channel. When a commercial came on during that show, the switch again would be made. You never got to see a whole show with Charlie running the set. I finally lost patience with him and raised so much hell that the Canadiens agreed never to put us together again."

Hodge played most of the 1966-67 season when Worsley was hurt but a young phenom named Rogie Vachon and Worsley handled the playoffs.

In 1967-68, the NHL expanded to include six new teams and the California Seals drafted the experienced and well travelled Hodge. Hodge played admirably, keeping the Seals from being a total disaster. He posted a very respectable 13-29-13 record with 3 shutouts and 2.86 GAA

The following two years Hodge would split between Oakland and the WHL Vancouver Canucks. Hodge would fall in love with the city of Vancouver, so it was a dream come true when the NHL expanded in 1970-71 to include the Vancouver Canucks. Hodge was drafted by the Canucks. He had a good year with a weak club as he won 15 games, lost 13 and tied 5.

He then retired after his only season with the Canucks, but the 37 year old didn't really want to. The Canucks and Hodge had a nasty contract dispute. A veteran Hodge refused to go to training camp without a contract, and feeling jilted and humiliated, he opted to retire a year earlier than he had intended.

"That's the only point that really bothers me about my hockey career."

Hodge would remain in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, and took up a job scouting for the Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Jean-Guy Talbot

During his prime, defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot was an excellent outlet passer who provided physical play in his own zone. His career lasted 1,056 games with five different clubs but he was best known for winning an amazing seven Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens.

Born in Cap de la Madeleine, Quebec, Talbot was a junior star with Trois-Rivieres and Shawinigan before playing senior with the Quebec Aces. After scoring 34 points for the club in 1954-55, the talented rearguard was placed on the QHL's first all-star team. He gained a regular job on the Montreal Canadiens' blue line in 1955-56, ultimately replacing the great Butch Bouchard. It was excellent timing, as Talbot enjoyed Stanley Cup success in each of his first five NHL seasons.

Talbot was an integral part of the Canadiens' transition game until 1966-67. Learning from Doug Harvey and Tom Johnson's influence, his consistent play at both ends of the ice was crucial when the Habs had to replace the likes of Rocket Richard, Harvey, and Bernie Geoffrion in the early 1960s. After scoring 47 points in 1961-62, Talbot was voted on to the NHL first all-star team. He also played a notably important role on Stanley Cup teams in 1965 and 1966.

When the Canadiens wanted to go with younger players like Serge Savard, he was left unprotected in the 1967 Expansion Draft. The Minnesota North Stars claimed him then flipped him to the Detroit Red Wings four games into the 1967-68 season. Before the end of the season Detroit then sent him to the St. Louis Blues. His puck handling and experience helped that expansion club reach the Stanley Cup finals in each of their first three seasons beginning in 1968. He would round out his career mentoring the raw rookies on the expansion Buffalo Sabres in 1970-71.

Following his playing days, Talbot became a coach. He coached the Denver Spurs to the WHL championship in 1972 then worked behind the St. Louis bench on an interim basis in 1972-73 and 1973-74. He also coached the New York Rangers in 1977-78 and was replaced after the club posted a disappointing 30-37-13 record. He would return to Quebec to work in the promotions department of Carling O'Keefe Breweries in Trois-Rivieres.

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Dickie Moore

In Montreal, no person is more revered than Maurice "Rocket" Richard. That's why when a scout proclaimed Dickie Moore would make fans forget about the Rocket, Hab management eagerly listened.

Unfortunately injuries plagued Moore's career, but he never-the-less was a very effective and rugged player.

Although hampered by injuries such as knee operations, shoulder separations, broken hands and wrists and countless bruises, scars and wounds, he twice led the league in scoring. In fact in 1959 he recorded 96 points to set a new NHL record for points in a season. This feat is made more amazing in the fact that he played much of the season with a specially designed cast on his injured shooting wrist!

His toughness came to no surprise for those who knew him since he was a toddler. Growing up in blue collar North Montreal, Dickie first established a reputation as tough-as-nails when he was hit by a car. Injuries to his knees and leg threatened his hockey career, but Moore stubbornly was determined to achieve the only dream he ever had - to play in the NHL. Although he was not a Habs fan growing up - he cheered for Gordie Drillon and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Moore was a decorated junior player, leading the Montreal Royals (1949) and Montreal Junior Canadiens (1950) to Memorial Cup championships. He wasn't noted as a goal scorer but rather as an intense and feisty power forward that had the Habs drooling.

Although Moore was part of the 1953 Stanley Cup championship team, Moore did not make the Habs full time until the 1954-55 season. His gritty game was the perfect addition to a team loaded with superstars. Much like a John Tonelli with the 1980s New York Islanders or Brendan Shanahan with the late-1990s-early 2000s Detroit Red Wings, Moore supplied the necessary sandpaper to the Canadiens highly polished offensive game.

Somehow Moore's offensive game blossomed in Montreal, too. He would twice lead the entire league in scoring, winning the Art Ross trophy. Three times he scored 35 or more goals. The six time Stanley Cup champion also made the first all star team twice. He would finish his career with a total of 261 goals and 608 points in 719 NHL games.

One has to wonder had Moore's aggressive style not led to such severe injuries just how good Dickie Moore could have been. As it is, he is forever immortalized in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Moore quit hockey in the summer of 1963, upset that the Canadiens did not want him back and were going to trade him. He did try two come backs, one with Toronto and one with St. Louis, but both failed. After retiring from hockey for good, Moore opened up an equipment rental firm, a company he started while playing back in 1962. The company would grow over time and eventually would employ over 40 people, with branches in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.

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Junior Langlois

When Junior Langlois was called up for his first NHL game, hockey was the last thing on his mind.

"I played my junior hockey in Quebec City and when I turned pro I was with Rochester (AHL). We had played our last game of the season in Cleveland on a Saturday night. We had to wait after the game to see if Buffalo won because if they did we were out of the playoffs. Kenny Reardon was there that night from the Canadiens' front office. I guess he was supposed to inspire us or something. Anyway, Buffalo won so we were going to have a party. I was coming into the hotel carrying a case of beer under each arm and our coach, Roly McLenaghan, saw me and said, "You'd better go easy on that stuff. The Canadiens have just called you up."

Langlois thought his coach was joking until the coach handed over a bus ticket to Detroit. Langlois' life long dream was finally going to come true.

"They wanted me to go there and play with the Canadiens in their final game of the season. So that's how I started. I played in the game in Detroit and in the playoffs too."

This all happened in the spring of 1958. Langlois, just 23, had made the Montreal Canadiens in the middle of their 5 consecutive Stanley Cups dynasty. Langlois played 7 of 8 playoff games that season, replacing Dollard St. Laurent who suffered a broken cheekbone, to earn a taste of champagne from Lord Stanley's mug.

Langlois remembers it as an intimidating experience.

"To tell the truth, when I got to Detroit I really didn't want to be there. It was like a dream world even though I had been to training camp a few times. But when you're there for a real game. The atmosphere is so different. There I was with all those stars: Beliveau, Boomer, Harvey, everybody. I kept staring at the floor when we were getting dressed for the game. I was too scared to look them in the eye. Right across from me was the guy with the laser eyes, Rocket (Richard). I never wanted to look that way at all. Every once in a while I'd say to myself 'What am I doing here?' "

A hard hitting, defensive rearguard, Langlois returned the following autumn, earning the now departed St. Laurent's full time spot in the NHL's original six era. With that came two more Stanley Cup titles, in 1959 and 1960.

Langlois was particularly proud of the 1960 team.

"I was on the team when we won 8 straight games in 1960 for the fifth straight Cup. That was something special."

Although he was a part of three straight titles, Langlois never thought of himself as a great player.

"I remember I used to look around at those great players and say to myself that they won the Cup. I was just a player. Oh, I contributed I guess, but it was just to give them a rest. But they still remember me in Montreal, which tells you something about playing for the Canadiens. I can still walk down St. Catherines Street and people will yell at me, "Hey Junior! Comment ca va?" They remember me, and I wasn't a star. It's amazing.

Langlois knew the star on the Canadiens' blue line was Doug Harvey, his defense partner for much of Langlois' first six seasons in the NHL, including his stint in New York with the Rangers from 1961 through 1964. He called playing with Harvey "the easiest thing in the world. When in doubt, just give it to Doug. And if you made a mistake, he'd back you up."

In the mid 1960s he bounced around with Detroit then Boston. He was the last Bruin to wear number 4 before the arrival of Bobby Orr.

In 196-67 Langlois spent one last season in pro hockey, splitting a season with San Francisco and Los Angeles of the old Western (pro) Hockey League. He would meet his future wife in California, and would return in the 1980s.

After retiring he initially got into real estate, something he studied during his off time while with the Red Wings. He later was a sales representative for Canadian Hockey Equipment in Montreal. But he wanted to return to California, and did so in 1983. He moved to Beverly Hills after joining the firm Merrill-Lynch as a stock broker.

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Claude Provost

The Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s and 1960s are considered to be one of the greatest teams of all time. With names like Beliveau, Richard, Geoffrion, Harvey and Moore, the Habs had offence to spare. Someone had to accept the unglamorous role of checker and role player. Claude Provost sacrificed his own offensive output for the team. His unselfish style of hustling and aggressive checking earned him a place as a Legend of Hockey.

While sacrificing personal recognition, Provost was as big a part of the success of the Habs as anyone. He was part of two dynasty eras, the late 1950s and the late 1960s. All in all, Provost earned nine Stanley Cup championship rings.

Known for his incredible shadowing of the other team's superstars, most notably Bobby Hull, the wide-jawed Provost played over 1000 NHL games, recording very respectable totals of 254 goals and 589 points. Despite his aggressive checking style, he earned only 469 penalty minutes

Provost was brought in to Montreal by coach Toe Blake to start the 1955-56 season. The sturdy right wing found an immediate home with fellow newcomers Phil Goyette and Andre Pronovost. Provost scored three goals and 6 points in the playoffs, helping the Habs win the first of 5 consecutive Stanley Cup championships.

Admittedly an average shooter and awkward skater (though he was deceptively speedy), he relied on his ability to read oncoming plays and closing off options of the other team's top stars. While he would average 16 goals a season, his scoring increased after he noticed Gordie Howe used a short stick. Provost followed suit in the 1960s, and his scoring contributions grew.

Provost broke out with a career high 33 goals in 1962-63. In 1964-65 he had an even better year. While he scored 27 goals, he added 37 assists and earned a spot on the NHL first all star team. In the playoffs he masterfully shut down Bobby Hull as the Habs embarked on a 4 championships in 5 years span known as Montreal's "quiet dynasty."

Through it all, Provost remained happily in the shadows of more prolific teammates. Provost's contributions finally were recognized as his career wound down, as he was named the first ever winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his dedication to the game.

While many forget to mention Claude Provost as one of the greatest Habs of all time, it should be noted without his selfless team play and willingness to the dirty work on a team loaded with superstars, the Montreal Canadiens wouldn't have been as successful during the 1950s and 1960s without Claude Provost.

Provost retired from hockey in the summer of 1969. He turned to running a small hotel in northern Montreal and later operated a health and fitness center. In April, 1984 Provost suffered a fatal heart attack while playing tennis near his home in Miami. He was just 49.

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Gilles Lupien

Here's an interesting story about a player I knew next to nothing about, and certainly nothing about his devoted following.

30 years ago a group of Calgary based fans formed the Gilles Lupien Fan Club. Lupien was a slow, towering defenseman, a borderline NHLer who appeared in 226 games, none of which were with the Calgary Flames. Lupien played with Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Hartford. The group grew once Lupien left Quebec for Pittsburgh in particular. A Penguins fan from Norway apparently became a chartered member.

Much like the Rory Fitzpatrick all star campaign, the club was mostly in jest but somehow fully sincere. David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail attests to their validity, even if though talk of the 30 year reunion is clearly all in good humour.

Born in Brownsburg, Quebec, Lupien was scouted by the Montreal Canadiens as a diamond in the rough. They chanced their 2nd round, 33rd overall pick in the 1974 NHL draft on him. After over 3 seasons apprenticing in the minor leagues, Lupien joined the Canadiens in time for their 1978 and 1979 Stanley Cup championships.

Lupien stood at 6'6" and 205 lbs, making him the biggest man in hockey at the time. Not surprisingly, his ticket to the NHL was the effective use of his size. He was a willing physical combatant, though never classed as a true heavyweight. Still, he knew his role, once saying "I'm not dumb, I know very well that I'll never be part of the Ice Capades."

Despite his poor skating and small role on the team, the Habs thought enough of Lupien to make multiple back room deals to ensure he was not selected by any of the merging WHA teams in a special draft in 1979. A season later he was traded to Pittsburgh and then Hartford. The career 5 goal scorer scored twice in his debut with the Whalers.

After retiring from hockey "Loopy" tested his entrepreneurial skills. First he bought into a Dunkin' Donuts franchise and later organized a program to help former NHL players adjust to their lives after hockey.

Nowadays Lupien is a well known hockey player agent, most notably representing Roberto Luongo. His clients have also included Felix Potvin, Martin Lapointe, Patrick Lalime, Martin Biron, Frederic Cassivi, Mathieu Chouinard, Denis Gauthier, Daniel Boisclair, Manny Fernandez, Claude Lapointe, Sebastien Bordeleau and Donald Audette.

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Andre Pronovost

Stocked with talent like Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geoffrion, even during their dynasty years the Canadiens always tried to bring up young talent to keep the team fresh and young.

Andre Pronovost joined the Canadiens in 1956, just in time to capture the final 4 of the Canadiens 5 consecutive Stanley Cups. He found a home on a checking line with Phil Goyette and Claude Provost.

"We were the third line, they called it," he recalls. "We played mostly defensively."

Pronovost enjoyed the Canadiens magical spirit.

"It was the kind of attitude we had in junior," he recalls. "They were great guys, guys that were just there to help out. They'd say you guys are here to help us out and whatever we can do to help you out, it's better for us. It was a great team spirit all the way."

In 1960 Pronovost was traded to the weak Bruins team in Boston. Jumping from the most successful team in hockey to the hapless team in Beantown was a tough transition for the native of Shawinigan Falls, Quebec. Pronovost even considered retirement.

"That's why when they traded me, I was thinking of quitting hockey and going back to school. Maybe that would have been the best move I could have made. You can't go back but you can think about it," said a reflecting Pronovost years after retirement. Pursuing an university education Bruins boss Lynn Patrick convinced him to stay.

The Bruins traded Pronovost to Detroit two years later, coming close to another Stanley Cup championship in 1964. After asking for a raise, Pronovost found himself demoted to the minor leagues. He briefly resurfaced with the expansion Minnesota North Stars in 1967-68, but he spent the remainder of his career in the minor leagues until he retired in 1971.

Through all the minor league stops, Pronovost never lost his love for the game.

"I loved the game and year after year, I'd say, 'Well, this is the year I quit and look for something new to do,' and one year, I decided that was it. I was 35."

Pronovost moved back to his native Quebec, opening and managing a restaurant in Longueuil. He also tried his hand coaching junior hockey in Shawinigan. for a season, but to mixed results. He got out after one year, fearing he was being too demanding of junior players.

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Phil Goyette

Phil Goyette came out of junior as a slick passing, high scoring offensive dynamo in the Montreal system. Unfortunately for Goyette, Montreal didn't need another high scoring center as they already boasted Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard and Ralph Backstrom.

As a result of this overcrowding down the middle, Phil spent 3 years in the minors before catching on with Les Habitants in 1957-58 on a full time basis. While in the minors Phil learned to become a defensive center. He learned the fine art of defensive anticipation, shadowing your check and face-offs. Phil finally caught on with Montreal as a defensive minded 4th line center.

Phil was actually a late season call up in 1956-57 where he played in 14 games down the stretch before appearing in 10 playoff games to help the Habs win their second of five consecutive Stanley Cups.

In his official rookie season Phil played strong defensively but also showed a good playmaking side. He scored 9 goals and 37 assists for 46 points in 70 games. In the playoffs he played an integral role, scoring 4 goals in 10 games in capturing another Cup.

Goyette suffered a bit of a sophomore jinx in his second full season. He scored 10 times but added just 18 assists in 63 games. He went goalless in 10 playoff games, though did pick up 4 helpers.

Goyette's best season as a Hab came in 1959-60, the last year of the Canadiens great reign. Goyette scored 21 goals and 43 points and added 2 goals and 1 assist in the playoffs to capture the team's 5th consecutive championship, and Goyette's 4th.

1960-61 was a rough year for Phil. The amount of ice time he saw shrank and he scored only 7 goals and 11 points in 63 games. He had a strong playoff, scoring 3 goals and 6 points in 6 games. However the season ended on an unusual note for Goyette. For the first time in Phil's career, the season did not end with him and his teammates hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Phil continued to be buried in Montreal's great depth until he was traded to the New York Rangers with Don Marshall and Jacques Plante for Gump Worsley, Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort and Len Ronson. In New York, Goyette was teamed up with Marshall and Bob Nevin - all good defensive forwards. However for the first time in a long time Phil got some serious ice time and he responded strongly. There was never any doubt that he had offensive skills, but finally he got to display them as he registered 24 goals and 41 assists for 65 points. Goyette scored more than 60 points twice more in his 6 seasons in New York, but the Ranger's only made the playoffs in three of those seasons. While Phil finally got a chance to display his worth, the success that he saw early in his career in terms of championships was a long ways off.

Goyette, an extremely clean player who only had 131 career PIM in 941 games, was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for big and bad Moose Dupont in 1969. Phil responded with his best season, responding with career highs in goals (29), assists (49) and points (78). Despite totaling a second best 16 PIM total, he was rewarded for his fine season with the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly play. More importantly, Phil helped the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals, scoring 3 times and assisting on 11 others for 14 points in 16 games.

Because of his advancing age Phil, who was often nicknamed "Thin Man" or "The Professor," was left exposed in the 1970 expansion draft. Phil was selected by the Buffalo Sabres. In Buffalo Phil put together another strong season, scoring a point a game with 61 points (15 goals, 46 assists) in 60 games.

Goyette's age was catching up with him during the 1971-72 season. Off to a slow start, the Sabres sold his rights back to the New York Rangers late in the season. Goyette rounded out his career by scoring 5 points in 8 regular season games. He also used his vast playoff experience to help the Rangers to a strong playoff showing. Phil chipped in with 1 goal and 4 points in 13 games.

Phil totaled 207 goals, 467 assists and 674 points in 941 NHL games. He added 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 94 career playoff games. It was in the playoffs when Phil was at his best, as his 4 Stanley Cup rings attest.

Upon retirement Goyette was named as the first coach of the expansion New York Islanders back in 1972. It was not a great experience for all involved, and he was quickly fired.

Goyette then returned to his native Lachine, Quebec, where he worked with a custom brokerage business that he had apprenticed with during the summers while still playing hockey in the NHL.

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Don Marshall

Don Marshall was a very good player who was cast into the utility player role on perhaps the greatest team ever.

Though he had the skills to be a front line player, Marshall never once complained about taking a checking role on the great Montreal Canadiens teams of the 1950s that won 5 consecutive Stanley Cups. A swift skater who would never allow himself to be outworked, Marshall was extremely consistent. He was also a very clean player, accumulating only 127 penalty minutes in just shy of 1200 games! His highest single season PIM total was just 14 minutes. Yet somehow he was never recognized as a Lady Byng trophy winner.

Marshall started his career in the Montreal organization as the captain of Montreal Junior Canadiens of the QJHL. Graduating from the junior ranks in 1952, it wasn't until 1955-56 that Marshall played his first full season in the NHL. It was great timing on Marshall's behalf too, as it marked the first of five consecutive years that the Habs would win the Stanley Cup. Marshall quietly worked on the third and fourth line as a defensive checker and penalty killer. His thankless work was a big part of the Habs success.

His hard work did not go unnoticed around the rest of the league. Throughout their championship reign Marshall's name came up often in trade talks. It wasn't until 1963 that the Habs traded Marshall in a blockbuster deal with the New York Rangers. Marshall, Phil Goyette and Jacques Plante were sent to the Big Apple in exchange for Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort, Len Ronson and Gump Worsley.

Marshall continued to be a top penalty killer in New York but also received more ice time and therefore a more offensive role. Four times in 5 seasons with the Blue-shirts Marshall scored more than 20 goals, including a career high 26 in 1965-66. In 1966-67 he scored 24 goals and 46 points and was named to the NHL Second All Star team.

Following an injury filled 1969-70 season the Rangers exposed Marshall in the expansion draft where the Buffalo Sabres eagerly snapped up the veteran. He scored 20 goals and 49 points for the Sabres. However Toronto claimed Marshall from Buffalo in 1971-72 and Marshall struggled in what proved to be his final NHL season. He scored just twice in 50 games.

Marshall played in 1176 games, scoring 265 goals and 324 assists for 589 points. He won 5 Stanley Cups and played in 7 NHL All Star games. A lot of adjectives describe Donny Marshall as a player - tireless, consistent, clean, hard-working - but one word describes him best - winner.

After retiring, Marshall returned to Montreal and worked full time for a local firm that dealt with mechanical power transmissions. Marshall had worked this same job during the summers as an active player. Marshall also became a regular commentator on Hockey Night In Canada.

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Bob Turner

On a team that sported Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Jacques Plante, Doug Harvey, Henri Richard, and Dickie Moore, it comes as little surprise that defensive defenseman Bob Turner might be the least known member of the Montreal Canadiens great dynasty of the late 1950s.

Turner starred with his hometown Regina Pats (junior hockey) and Regina Capitals (senior hockey) before joining the Montreal Canadiens for the latter half of the 1955-56 season. Turner played solidly, turning a 33 game audition into a spot on the vaunted Montreal Canadiens defense.

Talk about incredible timing. The rookie would play solidly, and despite his inexperience he played in all of Montreal's playoff games en route to the first of what would prove to be an unheralded 5 consecutive Stanley Cups!

In total Turner would play 6 seasons in Montreal, scoring just 8 goals in those years. But his job was not about scoring goals, but rather preventing them. Turner took great pride in his trade. The Canadiens reportedly paid a bonus of $1000 to all of their defensemen if the team had the fewest goals against in the whole league.

"We always looked forward to that," said Turner, who was never one of the higher paid players in a very low paying era.

Although he contributed to 5 Stanley Cup championships by the time he played 279 games in the NHL, he never felt he had any security in his job.

"I wasn't one of the stars on the team," he admits. "I was just hanging on by the skin of my teeth."

In the summer of 1961 Turner was traded to Chicago where he would play 2 more seasons. He even blossomed into an 8 goal scorer in 1961-62.

But in 1963 Turner found himself demoted to the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL. He was quite bitter about the move, considering it a low blow that he did not deserve.

"I think it was more of a move to embarrass you. That's one of the reasons there's a union in the league now. They didn't want me to quit. I think they wanted to cut my salary. So I said I was packing it in."

After just one season in Buffalo, Turner packed his bags and returned to his native Regina. He would operate a vending machine business while coaching the Regina Pats for 10 years. Turner's highlight as a coach came in 1974 when he led the Pats to the Memorial Cup championship.

Turner would later become a successful real estate agent.

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Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson played for some of the greatest teams in hockey history, including the Canadiens of 1956-60 who won 5 straight Stanley Cups. He was a huge part of those great teams, but was always extremely underrated.

Johnson was a hard working defensive blueliner who played much of his career along side Doug Harvery, perhaps the greatest d-man in NHL history. Playing in Harvey's shadow, Johnson's talents and contributions went largely unnoticed.

"I was classified as a defensive defenceman. I stayed back and minded the store. With the high powered scoring teams I was with, I just had to get them the puck and let them do the rest," said Johnson, who wore #10 long before Guy Lafleur made it immortal.

New York Rangers' GM Emile "The Cat" Francis was one of Johnson's fans. "Johnson's trouble was playing on the most colorful team in hockey history. With guys like Maurice Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Jacques Plante and Jean Beliveau in the lineup, nobody ever noticed Johnson. But he was the real worker on the team."

''He was never, ever really appreciated in Montreal, even though he played on all those great teams,'' said veteran Montreal beat reporter Red Fisher. ''The reason for it was he, and others with him, played in the very long shadow of Doug Harvey. The only defenseman I ever considered better than Doug Harvey was No. 4 Bobby Orr.''

After apprenticing under the great Butch Bouchard, Johnson settled in with Jean Guy Talbot as long time defensive partners. A slow-footed defender, Johnson rarely received any power play time but was a key penalty killer for Les Habitants. The 6 time Stanley Cup champ was also known for his physical, sometimes dirty play. A hard hitter who would drop the gloves when needed. However he also had a nasty reputation for using his stick.

"Johnson's on my black list," explained Stan Mikita, a long time Blackhawk. "He liked to hit you from behind. When he got into a fight he never dropped his stick. Instead of using his fists, he used his stick for protection.

Johnson escaped Harvey's shadow for one season - 1958-59. With Harvey hurt for much of the season, Johnson posted a career high 10 goals and 29 assists while earning the Norris Trophy. The Norris Trophy win interrupted Harvey's 8 year ownership of the award.

''Of all the great players I covered in Montreal in the 1950s, I don't think there was anybody who played with more pain when he had to,'' said Fisher. ''He'd take shots in his knees. They were ripped up, and he'd come out and play. Injuries didn't matter to this guy. He'd never make any kind of a big deal about it. As a result, he became a great favorite of (then Canadiens general manager) Frank Selke Sr. He didn't play too many favorites, but certainly, Tom Johnson was one of his favorites."

"In those days, you didn't have any players association to say you shouldn't play or you can't play. This guy came out and played like no other player did. I admired him a great deal for it.''

Johnson was an extremely durable player in his 978 games with Montreal and Boston. He likely would have played longer had he not suffered a serious leg injury in the 1964-65 season while playing with Boston. Chicago's Chico Maki's skate slashed a nerve in Johnson's left leg. The gash ended Johnson's playing career despite a feverish attempt to comeback by Johnson. Johnson, who also suffered two serious eye injuries, was left with a permanent limp.

Johnson was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970. The election was one of the most controversial in Hall of Fame history. It was a bit of a surprise to some, including Tom. Eddie Shore in particular was so outraged by Johnson's inclusion that Shore threatened to buy back his own induction. Shore didn't appreciate Johnson's questionable stick work or alleged cheap shots.

Johnson's playing career was succeeded with a lengthy role in the Boston Bruins front office. He was briefly the head coach, including during the 1972 Bruins Stanley Cup Championship. He became a long time fixture as general manager Harry Sinden's bow-tied assistant for many years.

In all his years in hockey, Johnson has seen it all. Here's some of his memories:

On Rocket Richard: "Over the years, he was a great teammate because, first of all, he could produce and he was really good in the clutch," he said. "He had an incredible drive, and he had strength and he was solid on his feet. And every shot was on the net. He hardly ever missed the net, backhand or forehand. And his strength going around a defenceman was something else. I've seen two guys hanging on him and he was still moving."

On Jacques Plante: "He was great on the ice, but he didn't want anything to do with anybody off the ice. He was a different breed," Johnson said. "Jacques was one of the best goaltenders I've ever seen. Back then we used to have an old saying, in a clutch game, they couldn't get an aspirin by him."

On Bobby Orr: "He had everything, every tool a player could have. He had real determination and he had all the ability to do anything. He could change speeds so well while skating ... he had a great shot, but he didn't use the big slapper, he didn't need to take his stick back like most guys. He was a big team player; he was like Harvey in that way. Bobby would get just as much satisfaction out of making a good play for a teammate as scoring one himself."

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Ralph Backstrom

We'll never know how much Ralph Backstrom could have accomplished at the NHL level. The fine playmaker and two way center spent his first 13 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens helping the Habs win 6 Stanley Cups. But Backstrom was never better than a number 3 center in Montreal, always playing behind the legendary Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard.

After establishing himself as a fan favorite, Memorial Cup champion and arguably best junior player in all of Canada with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens, Backstrom entered the league in 1958-59 and scored 40 points in limited ice time in 64 games with the Habs. Despite his lack of quality ice time due to the Habs incredible depth, the 5'10" 165 lb native of Kirkland Lake, Ontario earned the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie.

Backstrom was a solid offensive contributor but was best used as a checking center by the team he grew up dreaming about. He was a very solid two way player. A magnificent skater, his best offensive season came in 1961-62 when in 66 games he scored career highs with 27 goals, 38 assists, and 65 points.

One has to wonder what heights Backstrom could have achieved had he had more of an opportunity to play on one of the top two lines, especially with the powerful Montreal Canadiens of the 1960s. But Backstrom never complained. Instead he accepted his role and excelled at it.

And because of that the already amazing Canadiens were that much better.

After 13 seasons and 6 Stanley Cup championships in Montreal, Backstrom went to GM Sam Pollock and requested a trade in 1970. The Habs sent Backstrom to Los Angeles, one of his requested destinations, in exchange for Gord Labossiere and Ray Fortin.

"It was very refreshing for me to play in Los Angeles. It was one of the most enjoyable times in my hockey career. The environment, the lifestyle everything seemed to be new and different," says Backstrom.

It was in California that Backstrom first began experimenting with the first inline skates.

"A friend of mine, Maury Silver, had a concept back in 1971 when I was playing for the Kings," recalled Backstrom. "His idea was to put wheels on the bottom of my skate boot instead of the blade. I remember taking my blade off and trying out the wheels. As a matter of fact I would train during the off-season with the so called super street skate."

Backstrom and Silver's "Super Street Skate" was the forerunner to the inline skate. While neither were involved in the evolution to the inline skate, Backstrom would later go onto be a big part of the success of Roller Hockey, serving as the commissioner of Roller Hockey International.

Backstrom played in 188 games in a Kings uniform before being traded to Chicago. The Kings traded him late in the 1972-73 season in exchange for Dan Maloney, fearing that Backstrom would sign with the upstart World Hockey Association. After only 16 games with the Blackhawks, Backstrom would sign with the WHA's Chicago Cougars. He would play 4 seasons in the WHA with three different organizations and was named WHA's most gentlemanly player in 1974.

Backstrom appeared in 1032 NHL games, scoring 278 goals, 361 assists and 639 points. He also appeared in 116 playoff games, scoring 27 goals and 32 assists. He added 100 goals and 253 points in 304 WHA games.

He would settle in Denver, Colorado. In addition to his role with Roller Hockey International, Backstrom became a long time coach at the University of Denver. He later became owner, president and general manager of the Colorado Eagles of the Central Hockey League.

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Bill Hicke

Bill Hicke enjoyed a splendid junior career while playing for the Regina Pats (SJHL) between 1954-58. In 146 regular season games he scored 251 points, including 142 goals. He led the entire league in goals and points during his last season. He led Regina to three consecutive Memorial Cup appearances and had his No. 17 sweater retired by the franchise. He would remain a legend of Regina hockey for his entire lifetime.

The jump to the professional game proved to be no big challenge as Hicke immediately won the scoring title in the AHL while playing for the Rochester Americans. He named as AHL First All-Star Team, AHL Rookie of the Year and AHL MVP.

The fleet-footed forward's fine play won him a spot on the strong 1959-60 Montreal Canadiens team that had just won the 4 straight Stanley Cups. The team would win their record 5th straight in Hicke's rookie season. He took much of the season to earn a regular spot, but by playoffs time he was a regular and earned the right to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Rocket Richard's retirement marked the end of that Canadiens dynasty and a time of change in Montreal. Hicke took advantage, though he was stuck in a third line role playing behind fellow right wingers Boom Geoffrion and Claude Provost. Despite the fact that Bill often didn't see much ice time he managed to put up some very good numbers. His best season in a Canadiens uniform came during the 1961-62 season when he scored 20 goals and 51 points. He also had 18 and 17 goal seasons for the Canadiens.

"To come from where I did to a place like Montreal was like a dream," Bill said. " The Canadiens were such a great team. They had so many stars. The only thing I had against the Canadiens was that I felt I didn't play enough. That's when I learned that I should have kept my mouth shut. But I didn't. I went to general manager Sam Pollock and told him to play me or trade me. He took care of my wish by trading me to New York. To me that was like going from heaven to hell. The team was fine. It was just the city I didn't like."

Hicke was traded to the New York Rangers on December 21, 1964 and finished the 1964-65 season in the Big Apple. His career almost came to a tragic end the following season.

" I was attending my first training camp with the New York Rangers (1965) when it happened," Bill recalled. " I went out with a group of guys and played a round of golf. It was raining at the time. When I finished I must have gotten a chill. Later I was sick and couldn't seem to get any better. I found out later that I wasn't being treated for the right thing. Things got so bad that I went into a coma for almost two weeks. When I came out of it I had allergies that I had never had before in my life. One of them was bronchial asthma, an allergic respiratory disease marked by difficult breathing, chest constriction and severe coughing."

In the summer of 1967 Hicke was claimed by the Oakland Seals in the expansion draft. He had generally gotten his condition under control but almost lost his life to the ailment in the 1967-68 season.

"Bert Olmstead was our coach at the time and he was a pretty tough one, to say the least," Bill said. " Despite all the stories about how bad Olmstead treated players, there was the day that Bert almost killed me, although he didn't realize it at the time. He had been putting us through a pretty tough skate and I was feeling a little tired. I was sitting on the bench when Bert came over and told me to get back on the ice. I told him that I really didn't feel like it and that I wasn't feeling too well. But I don't think he believed me and told me to get out there. So I did. It wasn't too long after I just collapsed on the ice and was taken to a hospital. I had had another bronchial asthma attack and Bert didn't know it. After a couple of weeks I came out of it and was back in action."

While playing for Oakland Bill enjoyed his most successful seasons in the NHL point wise. In 1968-69 he scored 25 goals and 61 points in 67 games, all career highs. That season earned him a trip to the annual NHL All-Star game. It was his third, he had previously appeared in two NHL All-Star games (1959 and 1960). Bill played in California for 4 seasons, averaging close to 20 goals.

Bill's last NHL season came in 1971-72 when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He then finished his playing career in 1972-73 when he suited up for the Alberta Oilers of the World Hockey Association.

After his playing career was over Bill returned to Regina where he purchased a local sporting goods store called Kyle Sporting Goods, which was formerly started and owned by former NHL brothers Bill and Gus Kyle.

Bill credited his time in Oakland and the WHA as a stepping stone for his business career.

" When I was with the Seals I learned how not to run a business by watching the team's different owners," he said. " When Charlie Finley bought the team, I don't think he knew too much about the sport. He was too much into gimmicks and trying to sell the game that way. I think the team could have done better had they had better ownership. I think I learned the most when I went to the WHA. I was elected president of the players' association. In just that one year I learned more about the business end of hockey."

Bill did extremely well in the sporting good business. He had built the business up to the point where the business was pushing $2 million in sales each year. He also purchased the building that house the business for $45,000, and years later sold it for $475,000. As Bill said himself, he "was making money hand over fist!"

Bill also co-owned and briefly managed his alma mater Regina Pats of the WHL. He sold his shares in the Pats in 1995.

Bill was enjoying complete retirement later in life. He was interested in personal endeavors such as a golf and restoring antique cars, holding as many as 11 at one time. He even had a 1926 Model T and a 1962 Rolls Royce and a 1955 Thunderbird. He lived in Regina during the summer, and heads to Scottsdale, Arizona in the winter time.

Unfortunately the happy go lucky Hicke would be forced to face cancer, a battle he lost in 2005.

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Steve Penney

Steve Penney's debut in the NHL was a Cinderella story almost like when Ken Dryden entered the league 13 years before him.

Like Dryden, Penney debuted with the Canadiens. He had been hauled up from Nova Scotia Voyageurs in the AHL, exactly in the same manner as Dryden. He played four out of the six last regular season games of the 1983-84 season, losing all four of them, including a 7-0 defeat to the NY Islanders.

So far no Cinderella story, but that would come next in the playoffs. Rick Wamsley and Richard Sevigny were the regular goalies in Montreal at that time. They had struggled all season long and when Wamsley went down with an injury coach Jacques Lemaire decided to play a hunch and give Penney a chance in the playoffs. It was a gamble that proved to be successful. Penney had been the 3rd goalie in Nova Scotia only weeks prior to the playoffs and now here he was suddenly the starting playoff goalie for the Montreal Canadiens.

His play in the playoffs was spectacular. First he led the Habs to a 3-0 series sweep over their arch rival Boston Bruins, including two road victories at the hostile Boston Gardens. Penney then pushed the Canadiens to a six game victory over the Quebec Nordiques, another other hated rival. Penney's magic would fall just short In the semifinals as the Canadiens lost to the defending champions NY Islanders in six games.

Penney was a sensation as the rookie led all playoff goalies with a fine 2.20 GAA. His 3 shutouts in the 15 games also led all goalies in the playoffs.

Canadiens management were hoping that they had a new Dryden on their hands and signed Steve to a three year one way contract. Steve was thrust into Montreal's number one goalie role starting in the 1984-85 season and played 54 games finishing with a respectable 3.08 GAA. He followed that up with a 3.27 GAA in 12 playoff games.

Much of the 1985-86 season was a write-off for Penney, as he suffered cartilage damage in his left knee and was not able to play most of the season. He was replaced by a prospect goalie by the name of Patrick Roy. That rookie would lead Montreal to a Cinderella Stanley Cup victory in 1986. Though Penney was a part of the team, his lack of games played in the regular season and his inability to play due to injury in the playoffs prevented him from getting his name on the Stanley Cup.

Unfortunately Penney, a Francophone born and raised in St. Foy, Quebec, was not the "next Ken Dryden." The Canadiens management accommodated Penney's trade request and moved him to Winnipeg for Brian Hayward on August 19, 1986. Steve only played a total of 15 games for Winnipeg and finished his career in the AHL for the Moncton Hawks during the 1987-88 season.

The pressure of being hailed as the new "Ken Dryden" was just too much for him. He never fully recovered from it and retired at the tender age of 27. He had played in 91 NHL regular season games, with a record of 35-38-12.

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Claude Lemieux

No, Claude Lemieux is not related to Mario Lemieux. Although he plays a very different style than Super Mario, this Lemieux was also one of the best hockey players of his time.

Claude Lemieux is one of the peskiest players in NHL history. Some people would say he is one of the dirtiest. He antagonizes the opposition like no other player can. He will do anything to get the opposition off of its game and often draws retaliatory penalties. Then he uses his offensive instincts to bury the other team by netting a big goal to help win the game.

A lot of people don't like Claude Lemieux because of the way he plays. Although he was a selfish player, he is the type of player you love to have on your team, but hate to play against. While he has done some borderline things to help his team win, and some down right nasty things, love him or hate him, you have to respect that this guy will do whatever it takes to win a hockey game. He may lack morals, but he will do the dirty work no one else will.

Bottom line - Claude Lemieux is a winner. In fact he won twice as many Stanley Cups as Mario Lemieux did. He also has a Canada Cup title and a World Junior Hockey gold medal on his resume.

Claude Lemieux was born on July 16, 1965 in Buckingham, Quebec. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens as their second choice and the 26th overall pick in the 1983 Entry Draft.

Although he played in a total of 9 games over from 1983-1985, Lemieux made his debut in an NHL starring role late in the 1985-86 season when he was called up along with another rookie, Patrick Roy, for the Stanley Cup playoff run. The two rookies played huge roles in a surprise Stanley Cup championship in 1986. Lemieux scored 10 goals in 20 games in those playoffs. Four of those goals were game winners, including in overtime of game 7 of the Adams division finals against Hartford.

Claude would enjoy 4 more solid campaigns in Montreal. He was a consistent 25-30 goal scorer as well as a defensive forward while of course polishing his reputation as hockey's most abrasive player. He would help return the Habs to the Stanley Cup finals in 1989, only to come up short.

An injury plagued 1989-90 season saw the Habs trade Claude to New Jersey in exchange for Sylvain Turgeon just prior to the start of the 1990-91 season. Lemieux had a terrible time with a groin/abdominal injury, and the Habs felt he may be damaged goods. He also had run ins with coach Pat Burns over incidents both on and off the ice, so Lemieux forced the trade out of Montreal.

The 6'1, 215 pound right winger developed into a better rounded player, especially offensively. He scored 40 goals in his first season with the Devils, and in his five seasons there, he notched 125 goals and another 134 assists. In 1994 Claude helped the Devils to within one game of their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. But in 1995, things were quite different. Lemieux led the Devils to the Cup Finals with his clutch play, and New Jersey won its first Cup championship. For his gargantuan efforts, Lemieux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, after scoring 13 goals in the playoffs to lead all post season scorers. He had just 6 goals in the lock-out shortened regular season.

The off-season brought contract squabbles with New Jersey management, so "Pepe" was shipped to the New York Islanders for Steve Thomas on October 3, 1995 and then promptly to Colorado by the Islanders for Wendel Clark on the same day in a three way deal. Finding a home on a line with Peter Forsberg and Valeri Kamensky, Claude logged 39 goals and 71 points in 79 games for the Avalanche. More importantly he helped them win the Stanley Cup in their first season in Denver, scoring 4 more game winning goals along the way.

In doing so, he became the fourth player in NHL history to win Stanley Cup with three different teams and the fifth to win it in back-to-back seasons with different teams.

The 1996 championship does come with a black eye, however. Of all the dastardly acts Lemieux committed in his career, none were more infamous than when he hit Detroit's Kris Draper from behind in game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Draper's face crashed into the boards, leaving him with a fractured upper jaw, a fractured cheekbone, a broken nose, a 30-stitch cut on the inside of his mouth and five displaced teeth. The incident turned boiled over an already heated rivalry. For several years after the fact the incident sparked violent retribution and replies, including a fist fight with Darren McCarty where Lemieux turtled.

Suffering from another abdominal pull, Lemieux struggled to stay in the NHL. He bounced around after leaving Colorado in 1999, most notably returning to New Jersey where he was part of another Stanley Cup championship in 2000, giving him 4 Stanley Cup titles. He ranks 2nd in playoff game winning goals with 19, behind only Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull and ahead of fellow playoff legends Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy, Glenn Anderson and Joe Sakic.

"I love playoffs. You know what its like when teams play back-to-back games in the regular season, there's usually a lot of intensity and bad feelings grow. In the playoffs it is even more intense," said Lemieux. "The physical side of the game really became more important and I think that is where I have been able to give my team an edge."

He finished his career with 379 goals and 406 assists for 785 points in 1,197 NHL regular-season games. He had 80 goals and 78 assists for 158 points in 233 Stanley Cup playoff games.

After all the sucker punches, slew foots, sticks to the groins and verbal assaults, there is plenty of reason to dislike Claude Lemieux. But you also have to admire what he accomplished and his stature as one of the greatest NHL playoff performers of all time.

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Sprague Cleghorn

Sprague Cleghorn is one of the game's all time best defensemen, but also one of the most aggressive. Perhaps too aggressive.

A monster with a short fuse, Cleghorn was also incredibly skilled. He emulated Cyclone Taylor, once scoring 5 goals in one game. In 17 years, including NHA totals, he scored 163 goals. He also helped the 1920 and 1921 Ottawa Senators and the 1924 Canadiens win the Stanley Cup.

But his on ice greatness has been forever overshadowed by his on ice antics. He played the game with vigilante vigor

Cleghorn started out as property of the Montreal Wanderers before joining the Senators. The Wanderers folded only 6 games into their inaugural NHL season after their arena burned down. The Wanderers' players were dispersed across the league. Despite a broken leg and domestic problems with his wife, Cleghorn was given a chance to prove he wasn't washed up, like many people were claiming.

Cleghorn would go on to be the star and the early day Ottawa Senators. Teamed with names like Cy Denneny, Jack Darragh, Punch Broadbent, Frank Nighbor and Clint Benedict, the great skating Cleghorn anchored the Senators defense to Stanley Cup victories in 1920 and 1921.

Sprague was never popular in Ottawa, even when he played there. In one game against Montreal Cleghorn viciously attacked Newsy Lalonde with his stick, reportedly drawing the ire of police although no charges were ever drawn.

Whenever he played against former Ottawa teammates, Cleghonr often instigated brawls and cheap shots as if he seemed to have a personal vendetta against certain players. In fact, in one playoff game, after Cleghorn viciously cross checked Lionel Hitchmen, his own team fined and suspended him for the rest of the playoffs. The decision was even handed down before the NHL had time to rule on it.

Tired of Cleghorn's ruthlessness and undisciplined play, the Senators decided on releasing the most feared man in hockey in 1921. The league assigned him to the Hamilton Tigers but the Montreal Canadiens desperately wanted the local native as a drawing card for home games. They executed one of the first trades in league history, as Montreal sent Harry Mummery, Cully Wilson and Amos Arbour for Cleghorn and defenseman Bill Couture.

Cleghorn was very upset with Ottawa for letting him go, and was determined to get revenge the only way he knew how. In one of the first clashes between Cleghorn's new team versus his old, reports claimed prior to the game that Sprague would settle the score once and for all with Ottawa for dropping him after he helped them win the 1920 Stanley Cup. He would go on to viciously injure 4 Senator players - Cy Denneny, Frank Nighbor, Tommy Gorman and Eddie Gerard. Cleghorn's disgraceful conduct in resulted police action and even league movement to ban him from the NHL for life. Reportedly two teams would not agree to the ban.

Despite such actions, Cleghorn continually produced results, including helping the Habs win their first Stanley Cup as a member of the National Hockey League.

After a stint with the Boston Bruins, Cleghorn, once described by an NHL official as "a disgrace," retired in 1928. His numbers were unarguably great - 84 goals and 123 points in 256 games as a defenseman. His PIMs total was 489.

Sprague Cleghorn died in Montreal in 1956. Two years later, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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Bob Gainey

Take a look at Bob Gainey's career statistics. This is perhaps the most obvious case that statistics do not tell the whole story.

An impressive 1160 games played but "only" 239 career goals, 262 assists for 501 points. Throw in 25 more goals and 73 more points in 182 playoff games, and it appears Bob was a fairly average player.

Gainey never scored more than 23 goals or 47 points in a single season, yet the Russians once called him the greatest player in the world.

Gainey was a defensive specialist. He was constantly bumping, grinding, tormenting, frustrating and nullifying his opponents. The NHL didn't hand out an award for the game's best defensive forward until 1978, and Gainey's awesome largely responsible for the creation of the award. Gainey was the first recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy and won it 4 years in a row.

" I am happy to be the kind of player that this trophy honors, but hope to round off my all-around abilities," Bob said when he won the Selke Trophy for the first time. " Because of all the great scorers in the game, he added, " this trophy was an added incentive for a player like me to work towards. First I just wanted to make the team, and next to play regularly. But then to be given a major award by the league...it's quite an honor."

When Gainey played as a junior for the Peterborough Petes he had a reputation of being a defensive player with great potential. Montreal drafted him as their first choice, 8th overall in 1973. In his final season under coach Roger Neilson he still wasn't an outstanding goal scorer, netting 22 goals and 21 assists in 52 games.

Gainey regarded his own goals and assists as icing on the cake. Because of his specific role with the Canadiens, he was never able to really get a chance to show he could contribute offensively. But nonetheless he was an extremely important cog of 5 Stanley Cup championships and a Canada Cup championship. Bob was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 1979 playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens fourth consecutive Stanley Cup. Bob participated in four NHL All-Star games, despite not being a prolific scorer.

" Bob Gainey is just as important to the Canadiens as Guy Lafleur," teammate Larry Robinson once said.

Bob Gainey was a key member of Team Canada during the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup tournaments. He also impressed during exhibition games between Montreal and the touring Soviet clubs. Red Army and Soviet National Team coach Viktor Tikhonov described him as technically the world's best player.

When Montreal played a classic against the Red Army team on New Year's Eve in 1975 (3-3) it was Bob who set the tone for the entire evening.

A few seconds after the opening face-off, the puck slid into the Soviet end, where Alexander Gusev picked it up, nonchalantly wheeled, and then waltzed down the right side, his eyes on the puck. Bob came roaring across the ice and smashed Gusev into the boards, rattling his bones. The hit was so hard that both players fell to the ice. It was a typical Bob Gainey play.

Bob was an all-around athlete who enjoyed any sport. He retired in 1989 after 16 years with the Montreal Canadiens, and five Stanley Cup championship rings. Bob also served as the Habs' captain from 1981 to 1989, conducting himself with utmost class, both on and off the ice.

In retirement he became one of the NHL's most respected coaches and managers.

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Petr Svoboda

The Montreal Canadiens pulled off one of the biggest surprises in draft history when they announced their 5th overall selection in 1984 would be Petr Svoboda.

Svoboda was the top ranked European player, and he could have be ranked as high as number two overall behind only Mario Lemieux. But living behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia made him an unlikely high pick, since it would likely be years before he would be allowed to play in the National Hockey League. Therefore it was expected Svoboda would be a middle round pick.

Expected to announce Shayne Corson as his pick, Montreal Canadiens general manager Serge Savard turned the draft on its head when he selected Svoboda. He shocked the league even more when the prized prodigy walked on stage in person to accept the Montreal Canadiens jersey.

The savvy Savard left all other GMs jaw-dropped. Savard was the only general manager to know that Svoboda had defected from his communist country, leaving the Czechoslovakian national team at the 1984 European championships in West Germany. As Svoboda hid in his aunt's house in Munich, the Habs arranged to have him flown to Montreal in time for the draft. Svoboda, who hid in a Montreal hotel until draft time, had defected on his own merit, but had already negotiated a 5 year, $750,000 contract with the Habs, who promised to take him number 5 overall.

Unable to speak any English or French upon his arrival, Svoboda made a smooth transition to life in North America, thanks in large part to the veteran presence of the likes of Larry Robinson and Rick Green. He developed into a dependable two-way defenseman who was far more aggressive than his frail frame should have allowed. The strength of his game was always his skating as his great quickness, agility and balance gave him outstanding mobility and lateral movement. A good puck rusher, Svoboda displayed the soft hands of a born passer, though he never had a great shot.

Injury problems would hinder his development into an elite NHL defenseman. Still, in the end he was the first Czech hockey player to reach the 1,000 NHL games mark. Svoboda would have a special career that included over 1028 games played 58 goals and 399 points. In 1986 he was part of the Stanley Cup championship team in Montreal.

By the end of the 1980s injuries decimated Svoboda and he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. He would also play with the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1990s, and was universally applauded for his tutoring of many young defensemen, most notably fellow countrymen Richard Smehlik and Pavel Kubina.

Although he defected from his country to pursue hockey dreams, perhaps his greatest achievement came back at home some 14 years after he defected. Political reform allowed for Svoboda to return home and compete for his country. When the NHL agreed to allow its players to appear in the 1998 Olympic Games, the Czech Republic asked the veteran Svoboda to play. Play he did, and he scored perhaps the most famous goal in Czech hockey history. Svoboda scored the only goal, with just 11 minutes left to play, in the gold medal game against the Russians.

Svoboda would become a player agent after retiring from the game, notably representing Pavel Kubina and Robert Lang.

Did You Know? Petr's younger brother Karel also defected, in 1986. Montreal quickly drafted him too, and allowed him to develop in their farm system. However this Svoboda would never play in the National Hockey League, and returned to Europe after just one season.

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Pete Mahovlich

When Pete Mahovlich joined the National Hockey League, he was instantly labeled as Frank Mahovlich's little brother. Little is about the last word that should be used to describe Pete Mahovlich.

Frank Mahovlich was a 10 year veteran by the time Pete broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings in 1966. Frank had already established himself as not only one of the top scorers in league history, but one of the bigger players as well. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 205 pounds, Frank was one of the largest players of his day, earning him the nickname "The Big M."

While Pete Mahovlich never really had a nickname that stuck quite like that, little brother Pete should have been known as "The Bigger M." Pete Mahovlich towered not only over brother Frank, but everyone else in the NHL. He stood at 6'5" and weighed 215 pounds. A player of that size is becoming more and more common today's NHL, but someone of that size playing hockey was almost unheard of back in the 1960 and 1970s.

As today's fans know, players of such huge size are often tagged as slow skaters and having poor hands. Oddly enough, Mahovlich excelled as a stickhandler, playmaker and penalty killer, and considering his awkward size was a good skater. What he lacked in speed and agility, he made up for with a crafty and industrious approach to the game that rarely left him out of the action.

Mahovlich broke into the league with the Detroit Red Wings, but it took a good 5 seasons before he finally established himself as a bonafide NHLer. In 4 seasons with Detroit, he played sparingly in only 82 games before being traded to Montreal with Bart Crashley for Garry Monahan and Doug Piper.

His first season with Montreal was nothing to remember. Hampered by injuries he only played in 36 games. But the 1970-71 season saw Peter Mahovlich break out. He would score 35 goals and 61 points while playing with more aggression. Coincidentally, this same season saw the Habs acquire the wily veteran Frank Mahovlich.

Pete Mahovlich would continue to be a very solid supporting cast role player for the next 4 seasons. He contributed solid scoring totals while establishing himself as one of the league's most outstanding checkers and penalty killers.

His checking abilities doubled with his size and hockey sense earned hockey's giant a spot on Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series showdown with Soviet's Red Army. Pete Mahovlich scored what was perhaps the most spectacular goal in a spectacular series. With Canada two men short, "Pete Mahov" picked up a Phil Esposito clearing attempt just inside the centerline. Faking his patented slap shot, Mahovlich deked a Soviet defender and drives in alone on Tretiak. He faked a forehand shot, went to his backhand, and while falling on top of Tretiak managed to slip the puck into the net. What a goal!

In 1973-74 Mahovlich finally had a chance to shine. One of hockey's most underrated players, Mahovlich spent much of the season distributing pucks to line mates Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt. He also had plenty of power play time. Mahovlich scored 35 goals and 82 assists for 117 points. The 117 points is a Habs record for points by a center, while his 82 assists remains a Canadiens team record for assists in a single season.

The following season Pete duplicated his fine efforts, this time dipping slightly to 34 goals and 71 assists and 105 points. The next season saw him slip badly as his prime ice time was taken away. While he continued to excel as a two way center and penalty killer, he was aging and was never one of coach Scotty Bowman's favorites - mostly due to his happy-go-lucky attitude off the ice. He, much like Brett Hull, was labeled as a clown and as lazy, something which bothered him greatly, as it wasn't true.

At 30 years of age Montreal moved him to Pittsburgh where he played for 2 seasons before returning to Detroit for 2 more seasons. However those seasons were largely forgettable. He actually finished his career in the minor leagues.

Pete Mahovlich, hockey's first true giant, retired in 1981 with 288 goals and 485 assists for 773 points in 884 games. He also scored 72 points in 88 playoff contests, and was a member of 4 Stanley Cup championships, all in Montreal.

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