Montreal Canadiens: The True Hockey Dynasty

Apr 17, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; General view of the ice and the jumbotron before the game two of Montreal Canadiens against Ottawa Senators of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens: The True Hockey Dynasty

Montreal Canadiens fans know that our team has always been referred to as a dynasty. However, after the Stanley Cup was won by the Chicago Blackhawks, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman proclaimed, “I’d say you have a dynasty,” and the topic became a hot-button issue.

Well, Bettman’s reasoning was that the Hawks have now won the Cup 3 times in 6 years. And yes, that is truly a fantastic achievement, but does it really make the team a dynasty?

According to one writer, “The original measurement of an NHL dynasty was winning three consecutive championships.” He goes on, listing various teams who are considered to be dynasties.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (yes, those Maple Leafs) from the 40s, becoming the first NHL team to win 3 Cups in a row (1947, 1948, 1949). The New York Islanders (4 consecutive Cups: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983) and even the Edmonton Oilers who did not win consecutive Cups but who won 5 times in 8 years, putting them in the “dynasty” column according to that writer.

But let’s look at the Montreal Canadiens. Here is a list of their consecutive wins:

1950s: the Habs won the Cup in 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60.

1970s: consecutive wins happened in 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79.

Those, however, are only the consecutive Cups. Visit the Bell Centre in Montreal – those 24 banners crowding the rafters are from Stanley Cup championships.

The Habs have won 24 Stanley Cups in their 105-year history, the most of any team – past or present. They are the longest-operating team in the league. The Canadiens predate the founding of the NHL (which was founded in 1917, 8 years after the Canadiens were founded).

Henri Richard – who played with the team from 1955-1975 – holds the NHL record for most Cups won by a single player.

In 105 years, there are surely more statistics to boast by a single team than by any other team in the NHL.

So yes, the Montreal Canadiens would have to be first on a list of hockey dynasties, if such a list existed (it probably does, though it is a highly subjective assessment).

There are many who agree with Bettman’s proclamation, not the least of whom are Chicago fans.

But are there detractors? Yes, there are.

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