The NHL has ranked the top captains in league history, and the Montreal Canadiens are well represented having four former players on the list.
A benefit of being one of the most iconic franchises in the NHL is all the history that comes with it. Any time a video or evergreen article is made about the growth of the league; the Montreal Canadiens are always front and center.
The NHL Network created a countdown list of top captains of all-time to continue with the celebration of 100 years of hockey. You read the words ‘of all-time’ and assume that it’s mostly going to be past players. However, there were captains on the list still playing in Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, and Zdeno Chara. Cudos to them, but when it comes to the Habs, there are more important names on this list.
The Montreal Canadiens had four captains in the top 25, each having their piece of success while wearing the CH on their chests.
Number 24
The Habs drafted Saku Koivu 21st overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, but he didn’t make his debut with the team until the 1995-96 season. After scoring 20 goals and 25 assists in his rookie year, Montreal knew they had a special player. Koivu was named the 27th captain in franchise history at the beginning of the 1999-2000 season becoming the first European-born player ever to do so.
Unfortunately, Koivu’s career was filled with injuries including a run in with cancer. What made him such a great player and captain was his resilience and dive to get back to the team whenever he was forced to sit out. Koivu’s first game back was an emotional one as he was expected to miss the entirety of the 2001-02 season, but he returned just in time to help the Montreal Canadiens make the playoffs.
Number 20
There’s a reason Maurice Richard as a trophy named after him. The legend was a goal scoring machine over his 18-year career with the Montreal Canadiens. Richard was the first player in history to score 50 goals in a season and the first to reach a career total of 500 back in 1957.
However, individual success wasn’t the only thing Richard brought to the team. He also helped the Habs raise the Stanely Cup eight times, and he was captain of the team for four of them 1957-60 before retiring. Words can’t describe how much Richard meant to the city and the team. Not only was he one of the best captains but will forever be one of the league’s best to ever play the game.
Number 17
Before Brendan Gallagher or Charles Hudon, there was Yvan Cournoyer. He wasn’t referred to as the “Roadrunner” for nothing as he used his speed to beat defending players on a nightly basis despite his small frame. Cournoyer was named the captain of the Montreal Canadiens in 1975 after Henri Richard retired, and he continued to lead both on and off the ice. He started to lose increments of his speed as the years went on, especially as his back injuries continued to pile on but never lost the respect of his teammates and everyone else in the organization.
"As captain of the team, I played harder than I ever had played in my life"
Number 2
Jean Beliveau was at the top of the list among captains when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens. The accolades speak for themselves. Two Hart Trophies (1956 and 1964), an Art Ross Trophy (1956), and a Conn Smythe (1965). He also has the honour of having the most Stanley Cup wins in history. 10 of them were won as a player while the next seven were as part of the executive group. Most importantly, they were all won with the Habs.
Many mentioned the late legend’s confidence that made him a natural leader. Beliveau was the captain for his final ten seasons in the NHL, and the Montreal Canadiens prospered from it. NHL.com had a quote from Beliveau which sums up what he was for the sport and the city of Montreal:
"Everything I achieved throughout my career, and all the rewards that followed, came as the results of team effort. If they say anything about me when I’m gone, let them say that I was a team man. To me, there is no higher compliment."
Next: Jake Evans Named to Team Canada
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