Monday, November 30, 2009

Top 100 Habs By Decade:

8. 1919-1929

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.

1919-1929


It's quite difficult to put each decade into a numbered box (well except for this last one). It seems there have always been loads of positives over each ten year period, and more often than not Stanley Cup finals and victories.

The 1920s are no exception. They started in 1919 from a position of strength, after all they had been poised to possibly win the Stanley Cup before the influenza outbreak led to the cancellation of the competition that year. But the Canadiens of the day didn't use that success as a springboard, but rather spent the next four or five seasons just being better than weaklings Hamilton. A Cup came in the middle of the decade, but it was not until another poor finish in 1926 that a true rebound occurred.

Again, we have 10 players here from our top 100 voting that have been allocated to the 1920s because a) they best represent that era, and b) it best represents their overall exploits.

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


10. Art Gagne (Not ranked in top 100, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1926-29132411657149

Decade best (Regular season)1927-2844

2010

3075

Habs career (Playoffs)1927-299

1

1

2

16

Decade best (Playoffs)1927-282

1

1

2

4



A decent foil for the dynamic duo that was Joliat-Morenz.


9. Harry Cameron (Not ranked in top 100, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1919-20

1612

5

1736HOF
Decade best (Regular season)1919-2016

12

5

17

36

Habs career (Playoffs)N/A















Decade best (Playoffs)N/A



















A classy defenceman into the Hall of Fame. The original Bobby Orr, the first Gordie Howe hat-trick and general innovator. Who cares that he only played 16 games for the Canadiens, he behaved like Bobby Orr while he was here...


8. Amos Arbour (Not ranked in top 100, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1915-2166

418

49

59

Decade best (Regular season)1919-2022

215

26

13

Habs career (Playoffs)1916-215

3

0

3

11SC
Decade best (Playoffs)N/A

















A sometime Hab, who had a big hand in Cup #1 and a stunning goalscoring start to the 1920s.


7. Louis Berlinquette (Not ranked in top 100, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1911-23235

6147

108

194

Decade best (Regular season)1921-2224

13

5

18

10

Habs career (Playoffs)1914-2317

0

5

5

17SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1922-232

0

2

2

0



From supporting cast to important offensive cog in the early 1920s machine.


6. Billy Couture (Top 100 all-time, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1916-2619824

1640

357

Decade best (Regular season)1925-2633

246

95

Habs career (Playoffs)1917-2517

0

1

1

81SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1923-242

0

0

0

0SC



A pioneer in the art of intimidation. Habs defence was built with some degree of intimidation at that time, and after Joe Hall passed away, Couture was the provider. Also captained the team in his final season.


5. Albert "Battleship" Leduc (Top 100 all-time, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1925-3534156

32

88574

Decade best (Regular season)1925-263210

3

13

62

Habs career (Playoffs)1927-33285

6

11322 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1928-293

1

0

1

4



Smallish big-hitting defenceman. Replacing Sprague Cleghorn as the anchor at the back end, Leduc learned lots in the 1920s and took the Canadiens to their most successful stint to date in the late decade and early 1930s.


4. Billy Boucher (Top 100 all-time, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1921-2715686

36

122

339

Decade best (Regular season)1922-2324

247

31

55

Habs career (Playoffs)1923-256

3

0

3

15SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1923-242

1

0

1

9SC


One of Morenz's earlier wingers and a fixture of the 1920s Habs gamesheets and scoresheets.


3. Odie Cleghorn (Top 100 all-time, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1918-25159

93

33

126

134

Decade best (Regular season)1919-2021

20

424

30

Habs career (Playoffs)1919-25117

2

9

5SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1924-252

0

1

1

0



A hold-over star from the first decade. His greatest offensive achievements may have been in the 1918-19 playoffs, but his influence and scoring was pivotal in the 1923-24 season that ended in the Habs' second Cup.


2. Herb Gardiner (Top 100 all-time, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1926-299510

9

19

52H, HOF
Decade best (Regular season)1926-27

44

66

12

26H
Habs career (Playoffs)1927-299

0

1

116

Decade best (Playoffs)1927-282

0

1

1

4



The first Canadiens player to win the Hart trophy, the first defenceman to win the Hart trophy.


1. Sprague Cleghorn (Top 100 all-time, Profile)



























































Years(s)GPGAPtsPIMAwards*
Habs career (Regular season)1921-2598423173248HOF
Decade best (Regular season)1921-2224

17

9

26

80

Habs career (Playoffs)1923-255

1

2

3

9SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1924-252

1

2

3

2



Captain and impetus for the Canadiens second Cup victory. His 1921-22 season was another marvel for a defenceman, and epitmoised his influence on the way the team played during his tenure.


* Awards: H = Hart trophy; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup.

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