PRESSE

HISTORY
The Canadiens were founded by J. Ambrose O’Brien on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the National Hockey
Association, the forerunner to the National Hockey League. It was to be the team of the francophone community in Montréal,
made of francophone players, and under francophone ownership. The team’s inaugural season was not as successful as
expected as the team finished at the bottom of the standings. After the first year, ownership was transferred to local promoter
and sportsman George Kennedy and the team’s fortunes improved over the next seasons. The Canadiens won their first Stanley
Cup championship in 1915-1916. In 1917, with four other NHA teams, the Canadiens formed the NHL, and won their first NHL
Stanley Cup during the 1923-1924 season led by the team’s first genuine superstar Howie Morenz. In 1921, following the death
of George Kennedy, the team was purchased by a trio of entrepreneurs that would become known as the Three Musketeers of
Sport; Léo Dandurand, Joseph Cattarinich and Louis Létourneau. The team moved from the old Mount Royal Arena to make their
home in the Montreal Forum in 1926-1927, sharing the building with their archrivals Montreal Maroons.
In the 1930s, the club started the decade successfully with two consecutive Stanley Cup wins in 1930 and 1931. The Montreal
Canadiens of that era boasted Aurèle Joliat, Johnny Gagnon as well as George Hainsworth. However, both the Canadiens and
the Montreal Maroons declined on the ice and economically during the Depression. Losses grew to the point where the team
owners considered selling the team to interested people from Cleveland, Ohio. However, local investors were found and instead
it was the Maroons that suspended operations, and several of the Maroons players ended up in a Canadiens uniform.
Led by the celebrated “Punch Line” of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Hector “Toe” Blake and Elmer Lach in the 1940s, the
Canadiens enjoyed success again atop the NHL. From 1952 to 1960, the franchise won six Stanley Cups, including a record five
straight from 1956 to 1960 with a new set of stars coming to prominence: Jean Béliveau, Dickie Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie
“Boom Boom” Geoffrion, Jacques Plante and the Rocket’s younger brother Henri. The 1940’s saw Rocket Richard become the
first player to scorer 50 goals (in as many games) in a single season.
The Canadiens added ten more championships in fifteen seasons from 1965 to 1979, with another dynastic run of four straight
Cups from 1976 to 1979. In the 1976-1977 season, the Canadiens set a modern-day record for fewest losses with only a mere
eight in an 80-game schedule. The next generation of stars included the likes of Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden,
Pete Mahovlich, Steve Shutt, Bob Gainey, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson. Scotty Bowman, who would later set a
record for most NHL wins by a coach, was the team’s head coach for its last five Stanley Cup championships in the ‘70s.
The Canadiens won Stanley Cups in 1986, led by rookie star goaltender Patrick Roy, and in 1993, continuing their streak of
winning at least one championship in every decade from the 1910s to the 1990s. In 1996, the team moved from the Montreal
Forum, their home during 72 seasons and 22 Stanley Cups, to the Molson Centre (now known as the Bell Centre.)
In 2009-2010, the Canadiens celebrated their 100 th anniversary becoming the first NHL franchise to reach 6,000 games.
On December 29, 2008 in a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers the Canadiens became the first team in NHL history to reach
3,000 victories and on December 28, 2009 in Montreal, became the first team to score 20,000 goals (Michael Cammalleri).
AU FIL DES ANNÉES/THROUGH THE YEARS
Larry Robinson
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