Monday, November 30, 2009

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)GPWLTGAASOAwards*
Habs career (Season)1933-4122082

100382.6518

AS
Decade best (Season)1936-3744

22

17

5

2.185

AS
Habs career (Playoffs)1935-3810

3

6

1

2.710




Decade best (Playoffs)1936-375

2

3

0

2.220





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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1925-36404

81

63

144197

Decade best (Season)1931-3244

188

2616



Habs career (Playoffs)1927-35326

4

1024

2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1930-3110

12

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1925-38526143

98

241

392



Decade best (Season)1929-3044

24

9

33

47



Habs career (Playoffs)1927-3841

7

5

1226

2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1930-3110

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1930-40406

115

137252

286



Decade best (Season)1936-3748

20

16

36

38



Habs career (Playoffs)1931-3931

1112

23

37

SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1930-3110

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1936-39125

25

38

63

130H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)1936-3744

8202838

H, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)1937-3911

2

3

5

2



Decade best (Playoffs)1936-375

12

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1928-41488

89102191

148

Decade best (Season)1937-3847

23

1942

12



Habs career (Playoffs)1929-3936

6

2

8

24

2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1930-3110

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1923-3653863

78

141

669

AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)1929-3044

131124

108



Habs career (Playoffs)1924-3539

5

5

1064

3 SC

Decade best (Playoffs)1929-306

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1922-38655

270

190460

771

H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)1933-3448

22

1537

27

H
Habs career (Playoffs)1923-3746

9

13

22

66

3 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1929-306

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)GPWLTGAASOAwards*
Habs career (Season)1926-3731816797

54

1.78

75

3 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)1930-3144

26

10

8

1.95

8





Habs career (Playoffs)1927-3331

13135

1.70

6

2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1929-30165

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)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Season)1923-37460

257

160417

499

3 H, AS
Decade best (Season)1930-3139



28



23

51

49



H
Habs career (Playoffs)1924-3437

139

22

58

3 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1929-306

3

03

10SC


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.

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