Top 100 Habs By Decade: 6. 1929-1939

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial next Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span. You should expect a few each day for the next few days.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1929-1939

Fans from the 1990s and beyond can take some comfort from knowing that the Canadiens weren't always a win away from the Cup. The decade from 1929-39 started like 89-99, full of promise and trophies, but by mid-decade the Canadiens were in up-and-down form and had not yet found their killer instinct that was to com in later years.

There were good finishes like the back-to-back Stanley Cups and some top of the table efforts in the regular season, but this decade finds itself in sixth due to the stiff competition put forward by decades previous and following. On many other teams (Maroons, Rangers) this would have been franchise making results.

Once again, we've selected 10 players from our voting to fit the decade they best represent (no repeats). With 5 decades to come, the star power of the 1930s gives a feel of what awaits.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – sorry Brisebois fans]


10. Wilf Cude (Not ranked in top 100, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1933-41	220	82	100	38	2.65	18	AS
Decade best (Season)	1936-37	44	22	17	5	2.18	5	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1935-38	10	3	6	1	2.71	0
Decade best (Playoffs)	1936-37	5	2	3	0	2.22	0

Never blessed with a very good team in front of him, Cude made the best of a tough situation – putting up a couple of very solid seasons in the 1930s.


9. Wildor Larochelle (Not ranked in top 100, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1925-36	404	81	63	144	197
Decade best (Season)	1931-32	44	18	8	26	16
Habs career (Playoffs)	1927-35	32	6	4	10	24	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1930-31	10	1	2	3	8	SC

A member of the productive second wave of offense from the earliest Habs dynasty.


8. Alfred "Pit" Lepine (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1925-38	526	143	98	241	392
Decade best (Season)	1929-30	44	24	9	33	47
Habs career (Playoffs)	1927-38	41	7	5	12	26	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1930-31	10	4	2	6	6	SC

A talented local boy who helped greatly in winning the Stanley Cups of 1930 and 1931.


7. Johnny "Black Cat" Gagnon (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1930-40	406	115	137	252	286
Decade best (Season)	1936-37	48	20	16	36	38
Habs career (Playoffs)	1931-39	31	11	12	23	37	SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1930-31	10	6	2	8	8	SC

From rookie riding the coat-tails of Morenz and Joliat to Habs leading scorer in 1936-37 after Morenz's injury.


6. Albert "Babe" Siebert (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1936-39	125	25	38	63	130	H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1936-37	44	8	20	28	38	H, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1937-39	11	2	3	5	2
Decade best (Playoffs)	1936-37	5	1	2	3	2

A converted forward, the Maroons player found new legs and talent at his new position, winning another Hart trophy and a recovery to top tier of the league for the Canadiens.


5. Georges Mantha (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1928-41	488	89	102	191	148
Decade best (Season)	1937-38	47	23	19	42	12
Habs career (Playoffs)	1929-39	36	6	2	8	24	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1930-31	10	5	1	6	4	SC

Versatile, mostly defensive player, deployed either up front or on D. Noted for his clean and intelligent play (which really stood out in the 1930s).


4. Sylvio Mantha (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1923-36	538	63	78	141	669	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1929-30	44	13	11	24	108
Habs career (Playoffs)	1924-35	39	5	5	10	64	3 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1929-30	6	2	1	3	18	SC

Lynch-pin of the Canadiens defence for the early 1930s Cup dynasty years. Cup-winning captain and coach, Sylvio did it all with the Habs. His 3 Cups (tied with Joliat and Morenz) were a team record until those 1950s came along.


3. Aurele "The Might Atom" Joliat (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1922-38	655	270	190	460	771	H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1933-34	48	22	15	37	27	H
Habs career (Playoffs)	1923-37	46	9	13	22	66	3 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1929-30	6	0	2	2	6	SC

Brought in via trade for Newsy Lalonde. A complete player with a good nose for the net. He formed a dynamic duo with Morenz for most of his career.


2. George Hainsworth (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1926-37	318	167	97	54	1.78	75	3 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1930-31	44	26	10	8	1.95	8
Habs career (Playoffs)	1927-33	31	13	13	5	1.70	6	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1929-30	16	5	0	1	0.75	3	SC

Had big skates to fill and filled them ably. Won the first 3 Vezina trophies with 49 shutouts in 132 games. Amazing to think that 5-0-1 in the playoffs with 3 shutouts and a 0.75 GAA isn't the standout stat of his career.


1. Howie "The Stratford Streak" Morenz (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1923-37	460	257	160	417	499	3 H, AS
Decade best (Season)	1930-31	39	28	23	51	49	H
Habs career (Playoffs)	1924-34	37	13	9	22	58	3 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1929-30	6	3	0	3	10	SC

The first NHL superstar, and with good reason. He revitalised the new lower-scoring era with flashy displays of goalscoring for more than a decade. First number retired for the Habs, and anywhere.



* Awards: H = Hart trophy; V = Vezina trophy; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup.