Top 100 Habs By Decade: 2. 1949-1959

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.

1949-1959

I can only venture a guess as to what it must have been like to support a team like the 1950s Canadiens. Hundreds of games against the Leafs, Red Wings, Hawks, Bruins and Rangers. Tough rivalries night after night. Ones that more often than not the Canadiens were in a position to dominate. Would it be satisfying? Would it get tired? Judging by what fans of the time tell me, the answers to those questions are "no" and "no".

For a city that adores itself as a winner, the 1950s were a coming out party. While Toronto was overtaking Montreal in population and slowly to take the place as most important city in the country, Montreal launched a new self-image boosting pastime – winning hockey games. And did they win? First of second in the league all but one season (3rd that year) and 9 Cup finals in 10, with 5 Cups.

The players selected for the 1950s teams were banging at the door to get in. Virtually every player brings 5+ Cups to the table with a trophy, gaudy stats and a place in the Hall of Fame. These 10 names are names of Canadiens lore.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – Beliveau and Henri Richard, therefore will be missed]


10. Jean-Guy Talbot (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1954-67	791	36	209	245	884	AS
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	69	4	17	21	77
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-67	105	3	16	19	112	7 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1957-58	10	0	3	3	12	SC

A mainstay of the big 1950s dynasty, Talbot could do whatever was asked of him.


9. Bert "Dirty Bertie" Olmstead (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-58	508	103	280	383	609	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1955-56	70	14	56	70	94	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1951-58	8	8	34	42	78	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1955-56	10	4	10	14	8	SC

The left wing plumber for some of the top lines in NHL history.


8. Claude Provost (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1955-70	1005	254	335	589	469	BM, AS
Decade best (Season)	1957-58	70	19	32	51	71
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-69	126	25	38	63	86	9 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	6	2	8	2	SC

One of the best shadows in league and Habs history.


7. Tom Johnson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1947-63	857	47	183	230	897	N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	70	10	29	39	76	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1950-62	111	8	15	23	109	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1952-53	12	2	3	5	8	SC

Doug Harvey's sidekick for many seasons.


6. Dickie Moore (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1951-63	654	254	340	594	575	2 AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	70	41	55	96	61	AR, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1952-63	112	38	56	94	101	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	5	12	17	8	SC

The Canadiens first back-to-back winner of the Art Ross Trophy. He set a league scoring record in 1958-59 with 96 points.


5. Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-64	766	371	388	759	636	C, H, 2 AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1954-55	70	38	37	75	57	AR, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1951-64	117	56	59	115	88	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1956-57	10	11	7	18	2	SC

Trophies and honours line up for the innovator of the slap shot. He was the second man in history to score 50 goals in 1960-61.


4. Jacques Plante (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1952-63	556	314	133	107	2.23	58	H, 6 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1955-56	64	42	12	10	1.86	7	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1953-63	90	59	28	0	2.13	10	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1956-57	10	8	2	0	1.66	1	SC

An innovator at his position, what really set him apart was not his mask, but his gaudy statistics. He won 5 straight Vezina trophies in the late decade and 6 in 7 years in all.


3. Doug Harvey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1947-61	890	76	371	447	1042	7 N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1956-57	70	6	44	50	92	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1949-61	123	8	59	67	138	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	1	11	12	22	SC

People aren't laughed out of the room when suggesting he's the best defenceman of all-time. Certainly, if they had to rename the Norris trophy they could do worse than naming it the Harvey trophy. More of a classic defender than, say, Orr, he nevertheless had the nous to go forward.


2. Maurice "Rocket" Richard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1942-60	978	544	421	965	1285	H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1950-51	65	42	24	66	97	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1944-60	133	82	44	126	188	8 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1957-58	10	11	4	15	10	SC

5-time leading goalscorer in the league, his legacy will never be his own personal trophy cupboard. Known for scoring in the biggest games and tightest situations, he out-hockeyed Mr. Hockey by capturing 8 Stanley Cups in his career. Iconic for the fans of the Habs, he could and would be first on many other lists.


1. Jean "Gros Bill" Beliveau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-71	1125	507	712	1219	+67	(23)	H, AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1963-64	68	28	50	78		2	H, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1954-71	162	79	97	186		(2)	CS, 10 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	13	8	8	16			CS, SC

The enduring face of the franchise and its leading scorer and best centre-iceman. The epitome of Hart and Conn Smythe laureat, he won both in his long career.



* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; BM= Bill Masterton; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.

A Trophy Less Likely

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season.

Today, it was announced that Patrice Brisebois would be the Canadiens nominee. Having not suffered major injuries of last season, and trading last season's nominee (Mark Streit – whose nomination is meant to hark back to a time when dedication meant more than rehabbing), they turned to Patrice.

These days, there is certainly a conception (probably based on the winners from the past 18 odd years) that the trophy is awarded to a player who has come back from career- or even life-threatening illness or injury. This is not strictly true. But it would be hard to imagine a player who had overcome a massive obstacle losing to someone whose nominating quality is that they are old.

Only 10 nominees have been revealed to date. There is a chance a Patrice would win, but it won't be ours:

Just a year and a half ago, Patrice Bergeron was nearly paralyzed and suffered a severe concussion from a hit from behind. His determination to be back by the 2008 playoffs nearly paid off, as he amazingly would have been ready to take the ice had the Bruins reached the second round last spring.

This season, Bergeron suffered yet another concussion, but has since returned to approach the high-caliber level of play for which he was known before the injuries. His credo of respect and "playing the right way" is reflected in his style on the ice -- always hard, always physical, always clean.

Brisebois is a decided outsider even among the ten, behind Beregeron, Numminen, Clemmenson and Mark Eaton. I think if old Patrice has his heart set on a trophy this year he'd better gear up for a run at the Conn Smythe...

Come on, be honest, even if you are a Brisebois supporter, it's hard to see him winning this one. I mean unless the NHL recognises his long career despite having to overcome a total lack of NHL level skill (couldn't resist).


Though the nomination isn't exactly front page news, it sure beats harping on and on about which of the four lines isn't scoring.

Plus, it gave us an opportunity to get some classic Brisebois quotes only a couple of days after looking as slow as he ever has in his career (think Hamrlik penalty...):

"Some media, some people say, 'He's getting old, he should retire,'" Brisebois said yesterday. "Not that it hurts, but I'm like, 'I'm still doing the job. I'm not slow on the ice. I watch myself on video and I don't look a step behind.'

"Sometimes, I'm going to get caught, for sure. The game is fast and I try things on the ice. If you don't, nothing's going to happen. We have fast forwards who need the puck on the tape. Sometimes, you see the opening and you try."

You can't say the guy isn't good for anything. He still makes me laugh (and cry)...


Incidentally, for those interested here are the previous Canadiens winners of Masterton award, and the wikipedia reasoning as to why:

Claude Provost – "Embodied the definition of perseverance and dedication to hockey" throughout his 15 year career
Henri Richard – This honoured a career with 11 Stanley Cups
Serge Savard – Awarded for "dedication to hockey", after he won his eighth Stanley Cup in eleven seasons
Doug Jarvis (while he was with Hartford) – Awarded after he beat Garry Unger's record for consecutive games played, with 914 games
Saku Koivu – Overcame non-Hodgkin lymphoma