By The Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) has produced many good players throughout the years. And choosing the best players from a pool of talented players was a lot more difficult than we imagined. After careful analysis, we have compiled the 7 best Montreal Canadiens players you need to know.
1. Maurice Richard
Full name: Joseph Henri Maurice “Rocket” Richard
Born: August 4th, 1921
Died: May 27th, 2000 (aged 78)
Position: Right wing
Played for: Montreal Canadiens
Playing career: 1942–1960
Maurice Richard was a Canadian pro ice hockey right winger. He played for the Montreal Canadiens for 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Maurice was the initial player in the league’s history to fulfill fifty goals in a single season, achieving the milestone in fifty games in 1944-45, and the first ice hockey player to achieve five hundred career goals. He was widely considered one of the Canadiens’ greatest players of all time.
2. Jean Béliveau
Full name: Joseph Jean Arthur Béliveau
Born: August 31, 1931
Died: December 2, 2014 (aged 83)
Position: Centre
Played for: Montreal Canadiens
Playing career: 1950–1971
Jean Beliveau was a Canadian-born pro ice hockey center who was part of the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens. Widely known for being one of the greatest ice hockey players in history, Beliveau was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. He was a six-time First Team All-Star, recipient of the Art Ross Trophy, won the Hart Memorial Trophy two times, and ten-time winner of the Stanley Cup.
3. Steve Shutt
Full name: Stephen John Shutt
Born: July 1st, 1952 (age 70)
Position: Left Wing
Played for: Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings
Playing career: 1972–1985
Stephen Shutt is a Canadian retired pro ice hockey left winger who played with the Montreal Canadiens for 12 seasons and Los Angeles Kings for 1 season of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1972 to 1985. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993. He won five Stanley Cups in his career with the Canadiens.
4. Jacques Plante
Full name: Joseph Jacques Omer Plante
Born: January 17th, 1929
Died: February 27th, 1986 (aged 57)
Position: Goaltender
Played for: Montreal Canadiens; New York Rangers; St. Louis Blues; Toronto Maple Leafs; Boston Bruins; Edmonton Oilers
Playing career: 1947–1965, 1968–1973, and 1974–1975
Jacques was a Canadian pro ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for seven different teams. He was part of the Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during his stint, the squad acquired the Stanley Cup six times. Plante was mentioned as one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in 2017.
5. Patrick Roy
Full name: Patrick Jacques Roy
Born: October 5th, 1965 (age 57)
Position: Goaltender
Played for: Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche
Playing career: 1984–2003
Patrick Roy is a retired ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens for 11 seasons and the Colorado Avalanche for 8 seasons. During his career, he won four Stanley Cups– two with each team. In 2017, Roy was mentioned as one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” of all time.
6. Guy Lafleur
Full name: Guy Damien Lafleur
Born: September 20th, 1951
Died: April 22nd, 2022 (aged 70)
Position: Right Wing
Played for: Montreal Canadiens; New York Rangers; and Quebec Nordiques
Playing career: 1971–1985, 1988–1991
Guy Lafler was a Canadian pro ice hockey right winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Quebec Nordiques between 1971 to 1991. He was often referred to as “the Flower” and “Le Démon Blond”. During his tenure with the Canadiens, he won five Stanley Cups with the team. In 2017, Lafleur was mentioned as one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’.
7. Larry Robinson
Full name: Larry Clark Robinson
Born: June 2nd, 1951 (age 71)
Position: Defenceman
Played for: Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings
Playing career: 1973–1992
Larry Robinson is a Canadian retired ice hockey defenceman and a Hockey Hall of Famer (inducted in 1995) who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings. In 2014, Robinson was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. He was mentioned as one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in 2017.
