Puck Daddy's Summer Series: The Montreal Canadiens from A to Zed

(Ed. Note: August is known to be a very quiet month in the hockey world. As we wait for September to arrive and training camps to begin, let’s learn a little history about all 30 teams. Behold, our summer A-Z(ed) series, in which we ask fans of all 30 teams to drop some knowledge on us! Add your own choices in the comments!)

By: Robyn Flynn, Montreal radio personality

A. And now, a 24th Stanley Cup banner will hang from the rafters of the famous Forum in Montreal.

Chances are if you’ve ever met a Habs fan, you’ve been dealt the ‘24’ trump card in a hockey debate. The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times, more than any other team in the National Hockey League (and Habs fans will never let you forget it!)

You can thank (or blame) Bob Cole for the immortal call of the Canadiens last championship (which was in 1993.)

B. Boom Boom

Bernard ‘Boom Boom’ Geoffrion invented the slap shot that Shea Weber made famous. Boom Boom got his nickname because of his powerful slapshot, which he started using as a kid in junior. He was the second 50 goal scorer (after Maurice Richard) and had his No. 5 retired in 2006. Bernard Geoffrion spent 16 seasons in the NHL, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.

Fun Fact: Geoffrion’s father-in-law was Howie Morenz (whose jersey also hangs from the Bell Centre rafters), and his grandson, Blake Geoffrion, also wore the CH.

C. [Is for no one, apparently]

We don’t need no stinkin’ captain!

D. Doug Jarvis

The original iron man NEVER MISSED A GAME. Like, ever. He played 964 straight from 1975 through 1987. Remember THAT next time you want to call in sick with a case of the sniffles.

Jarvis won four Stanley Cups as a player, and two more as a coach, and also has Selke and Masterton trophies to his name. He’s an assistant coach with the Bruins now, though. So like, whatever.

E. Éric Desjardins

In 1993, the Canadiens were down 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, when head coach Jacques Demers called for the measurement of Kings defenceman Marty McSorley’s stick. The stick was deemed illegal, and McSorley was subsequently given a two minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Demers pulled Patrick Roy for the two man advantage, and Éric Desjardins capitalized, scoring his second of the game. He went on to score the game winning goal in overtime, becoming the only defenceman to score a hat trick in the Cup Finals. The Canadiens would go on to beat the Kings in 5, en route to their 24th Stanley Cup.

F. Forum, The

When Habs players don the CH crest they’re not just putting on a uniform, they’re wearing over 100 years worth of history and tradition on their chest, and it all started at the Forum.

The Montreal Forum was considered one of the most intimidating buildings to play in. Fans were ruthless, and expected nothing but the best from the Habs, and relished in any opportunity to boo the opponent. On March 11, 1996, the Canadiens played their final game at the Montreal Forum. Andrei Kovalenko scored the last goal on Forum ice (useful information for your local pub trivia night.)

What’s perhaps the most hallowed hockey ground there ever was, or ever will be, is now a movie theatre. And you can go bowling there, too! #tradition

G. Greatest Comeback Ever

On February 19, 2008, the Canadiens trailed the New York Rangers 5-0 a mere 25 minutes into the game at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Fans didn’t just trickle out of the arena; they left in droves. But those who stayed were in for a treat.

Michael Ryder scored a pair in the second period. Alex Kovalev and Mark Streit scored nine seconds apart early in the third, before Kovy would take advantage of a late powerplay to tie the game. Saku Koivu was the hero though, scoring the game winner in the shootout.

The 6-5 victory would go down in Canadiens history as the biggest comeback in franchise history.

H. Habitants, Les

Ever wonder why Canadiens fans always chant “go Habs go”? That’s because the Canadiens are nicknamed the Habs, which is actually short for their other nickname, les Habitants. And no, that’s not what the ‘H’ in the logo stands for. It actually stands for ‘hockey’ as in ‘le Club de hockey Canadien’. For those of you who don’t speak French, that means ‘The Canadian Hockey Club”. Next time someone tries to argue that the Maple Leafs are “Canada’s team”, remind them that the Habs are quite literally THE Canadian hockey team.

I. [Is for Team]

Sure, there’s no ‘I’ in team. But there are 3 in Janne Niinimaa! Niinimaa enjoyed a brief stint with the Habs at the end of his ten year NHL career. He never scored a goal as a member of the Canadiens organization, but he managed to notch three assists during his 41 games in Montreal.

J. Jean Béliveau

They should have retired the word ‘class’ when le Gros Bill passed. Perhaps the greatest ambassador the game has ever known, Jean Béliveau’s number 4 hangs from the Bell Centre rafters, and his name is etched on the Stanley Cup 17 times (10 as a player, seven as an executive), more than any other individual in the history of the game.

On December 9th, 2014, a lone spotlight shone on the seat next to Élise Béliveau in Row EE, Section 102.

It was the Habs first home game since the death of Jean Béliveau, and that was the seat that Béliveau had occupied for years. That night, the Canadiens ended a sellout streak that was just one month shy of 11 straight years, listing their attendance at 21, 286, one less than maximum capacity.

Say what you will about the Canadiens, but if there’s one thing the franchise knows how to do, it’s pay tribute to its legends.

K. Knuckles

They don’t call him ‘Knuckles’ for nothing! Chris ‘Knuckles’ Nilan racked up 2, 248 regular season penalty minutes during his tenure in Montreal (over 800 more than the next guy on the leaderboard.) Known primarily for the rough stuff, Knuckles was also a 15-plus goal scorer three times during his 10 seasons with the Habs. He also has a Habs tattoo and people with Habs tattoos are awesome.

L. Larry Robinson

Big Bird spent 17 seasons on the Habs’ blue line, where he won two Norris trophies, a Conn Smythe, and six Stanley Cups. He’s also one of the 65 Habs players to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His number 19 hangs from the Bell Centre rafters, and was officially retired on November 19th, 2007.

M. Montreal

It’s pronounced MUHN-treal, not MAWN-treal. Get it right.

Montrealers can always spot an outsider based on how they pronounce Montreal. The next time that you make the trip here to visit the strip clubs Olympic Stadium, you’ll know how to sound like a local!

N. Nordiques, The

One of the best parts about being a fan of an Original Six team is the storied rivalries. Whether it’s the Bruins, or the Leafs, there’s always someone to hate. This was never more true than when the Québec Nordiques were in the league, and the Battle of Québec raged in full force.

The teams were owned by rival breweries, backed by rival political parties, and on April 20th, 1984, the two teams basically fought to the death in a battle royale style hockey game in which a total of 252 penalty minutes and 10 ejections were doled out. Vive le Québec libre! #nordiques #expansion #relocation #coyotes

O. Olé! Olé! Olé!

A rallying cry for soccer hooligans that drunken Habs fans adopted. Also, Youppi’s mating call.

NOT the same thing as the “Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” song (so stop thinking that it’s cocky for Habs fans to sing it during the first period of a 1-0 game. It’s just Habs fans having a good time, which is something that Senators fans know nothing about.)

P. Pacioretty’s cap hit

$4.5-million, suckers. You jelly?

Max Pacioretty has put up back-to-back 30-pus goal seasons, and is the likeliest candidate on the roster to score 40; which no Canadien has done since Vincent Damphousse in 1994 (although Patches came close last season, when he hit 39.)

Pretty amazing stuff from a player who was almost decapitated by a fugly giant four years ago.

Q. Québécois

Did you know that it’s written into Québec law that the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens must speak French, and that there’s a French-Canadian players quota?

No, not actually. But it feels like it sometimes.

Following the Habs is practically a religion in Montreal (and fans have even canonized their superstars, i.e. Saint Patrick [Roy].) Not only are the Habs a religion, but they have become very political, too. French-Canadians not only expect, but demand that their head coaches speak perfect French, and that there are at least a few players on the team who can speak to the French media as well. It’s very much appreciated by fans when players take French lessons upon signing with the team. Plus, French is sexy and cool. #tabernac

R. Richard Riot

Known for his intimidating stare, Maurice “the Rocket” Richard spent 18 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and was the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games. A member of the famous “Punch Line” along with Elmer Lach and Toe Blake, Richard was something of a cultural icon for the French-Canadian people of Quebec.

Following a violent altercation involving a referee, NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended the Rocket for the remainder of the 1955 regular season, plus the playoffs. Habs fans lost it. Like, they went completely MENTAL, and took to the streets in protest on March 17, 1955. The riot caused over $100,000 in damage, and resulted in 37 injuries and over 100 arrests.

The moral of the story: don’t piss off Habs fans.

S. Sakuuuuu

Saku Koivu spent ten of his fourteen years with the Canadiens as captain, tying him with Jean Béliveau for the longest captaincy tenure in franchise history.

Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma prior to the start of the 2001-02 season, and missed most of the season. Koivu returned to the ice on April 9, 2002, where he was met with an eight minute standing ovation from the Bell Centre faithful. (This girl was in attendance that night; there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.)

T. Trophies

As in “Carey Price has all of the trophies and you have none.”

The Habs not only have 24 Stanley Cups (did I mention that’s more than any other team?), but their alumnus have also racked up five Art Ross trophies, five Mastertons, six Calders, nine Conn Smythes, seven Selkes (which was basically invented to find a way to honour Bob Gainey, who won the trophy four times), 17 Harts, two Jack Adams, 12 Norris trophies, and a whopping 29 Vezinas.

BRAP BRAP! Step off, bro.

U. Ulanov, Igor

Because I’d be remiss not to include anything or anyone from the late ‘90s, or as it’s better known to Habs fans, ‘the Dark Ages’. This is the time period that Canadiens fans would like to forget. It was a very sad time. As were the early 2000’s (in fact, the 2000’s are the only decade in which the Habs did not win a Stanley Cup. #sadtrombone)

V. Valeri Bure

The lesser known brother of Pavel, husband to D.J. Tanner, and one third of the ‘Smurf Line’ (along with Saku Koivu and Oleg Petrov.) Valeri was traded to the Calgary Flames in 1998, where he naturally became an All-Star and one of the team’s leading scorers. But hey, the Habs got Jonas Höglund and Zarley Zalapski in return, so WHO’S LAUGHING NOW, C-SPOT?!

W. Weise, Dale

Because where would Max Pacioretty be without Dutch Gretzky? Dale Weise isn’t exactly what you first think of when you think of a top six right winger, and yet he finds himself on Pacioretty’s flank more often than not.

Although I’m pretty sure that even I could score 10 goals with MaxPac as my linemate. Hey Max, there’s an opening in my beer league. #justsaying

X. Roman Numeral 10

X is the Roman Numeral for 10, which was Guy Lafleur’s jersey number (which also hangs from the Bell Centre rafters. Come to think of it, if you’ve just signed with, been traded to, or were drafted by the Habs, good luck picking a jersey number; they’re all hanging from the rafters.)

The Flower is the all-time leading Canadiens scorer with 518 goals and 728 assists. He won three Art Ross trophies, two Hart memorial trophies, one Conn Smythe trophy, and five Stanley Cups with the bleu-blanc-rouge. GUY! GUY! GUY!

Y. Youppi

Youppi was originally the Expos mascot, but he was officially adopted by the Canadiens when the Expos moved to Washington. Don’t feel bad if you’re confused (and slightly frightened) by the giant fluorescent orange mascot. So are we.

Z. Zdeno Chara

Someday my epitaph will read: Here lies Robyn Flynn. She never got over the Chara-Pacioretty hit.

I remember the moment that Zdeno Chara rammed Max Pacioretty’s head into the stanchion well, because it was the day that hockey became more than a game to me. I had always been a lifelong Habs fan, and that was Pacioretty’s breakout season. Losing him for the rest of the season was a devastating loss. I remember skipping my university classes for a few days after the hit to stay home and listen to sports talk radio. I couldn’t focus on anything else, and I wasn’t alone.

Some people don’t understand the point of being a sports fan; it can be soul crushingly painful at times. But it can be indescribably awesome sometimes, too. You have to take the bad with the good, get back up, and keep going.

Meet the author: Robyn Flynn (no relation to Brian Flynn) is a Montreal radio personality. She has a Habs logo tattooed on her left forearm, and no, it’s not because she lost a bet. Follow her on Twitter @ladyhabs.

Previous A to Z Guides: Anaheim | Arizona | Boston | Buffalo | Calgary | Carolina | Chicago | Colorado | Columbus | Dallas | Detroit | Edmonton | Florida | Los Angeles | Minnesota