Montreal Canadiens' 10 Greatest Players of All Time

Maybe Dryden doesn’t crack your top 10, but, hey, it’s our list and he’s a legend at this author’s university, so he’s getting the final spot. And it isn’t like he’s undeserving.

Dryden back-stopped the Canadiens to six Stanley Cups in the 1970s and captured both the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Calder Trophy during his playing days.

9. Yvan Cournoyer (1963-1979)

With 10 Stanley Cup wins in 16 years, a .500 – ahem – batting average is awfully impressive for Cournoyer and the Canadiens of the 1960s and ’70s.

He was a speedster down the middle who, when he retired, ranked behind only the No. 1 and No. 2 players on this list on the Habs’ all-time scoring list.

8. Henri Richard (1955-1975)

Richard is often overlooked because his brother was such a dominant force and, well, because Henri was only 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds. But with more than 1,000 points in almost 1,260 games, he was a force.

In fact, no one in Montreal history has played in more games in a Canadiens sweater as Henri played all 20 of his seasons with the club.

7. Patrick Roy (1984-1996)

Roy could very well rank higher on this list. We wouldn’t blame you for thinking so. He won three Vezina Trophies in his 12 seasons with the Canadiens and led the NHL in save percentage four times in those seasons, as well.

Roy ultimately won four Stanley Cups, though only two came with Montreal as he left under strained circumstances in the 1995-96 season.

6. Larry Robinson (1972-1989)

The man they called “Big Bird” was a force on the Canadiens’ blue line in the 70s and 80s. A two-time Norris Trophy winner, he also captured the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1978 in leading Montreal to the Stanley Cup. Robinson won six of those during his time with the Habs.

5. Jacques Plante (1952-1963)

Seven All-Star Games. Seven Vezinas. Six Cups, including five straight. A Hart Trophy. Plante led the NHL in goals-against average eight times, wins five times and shutouts four times in his 18-year career.

He spent 11 of those seasons with the Canadiens, retiring in 1965 but returning in 1968 and playing for six more years.

4. Doug Harvey (1947-1961)

With seven Norris Trophies, Harvey ranks tied for second in NHL history behind only Bobby Orr (and with Niklas Lidström).

There simply was no better defenseman in the league in the 1950s. Harvey won six Cups and made 11 All-Star Games, playing 14 of his 19 seasons with Montreal.

3. Guy Lafleur (1971-1985)

With 1,353 points in 1,126 games across his career, only 14 players in NHL history have scored at a higher clip than Lafleur. His 1,246 points with the Canadiens are the most in franchise history, as well.

He won five Stanley Cups, three Art Ross Trophies and two Hart Trophies. LaFleur also made a comeback in 1988-89 after initially retiring in 1984-85 and went on to play three additional seasons after his first 14.

2. Jean Béliveau (1950-1971)

On lots of other franchise lists, Béliveau would rank No. 1. He won the Hart Trophy twice as NHL MVP, plus an Art Ross and the first-ever Conn Smythe. Béliveau captured 10 Stanley Cups as a player for Montreal and another seven as an executive with the franchise. 

1. Maurice Richard (1942-1960)

Richard was a goal-scorer so legendary that the award given to the NHL’s leader in goals every season is named after him.

He was the first player in league history to score 50 goals and racked up 544 over his 18 years, all with the Canadiens. Throw in the eight Stanley Cups and you’re talking about one of the greatest to ever play the game.