Montreal Canadiens: 4 Lesser Known Players From the Late 90s Rosters

For Montreal Canadiens fans of a certain age, the late 1990s must’ve been tough. With that being said, here are 4 lesser-known players from those 90s teams.

The late 1990s was a rough time for the Montreal Canadiens. Only a few years removed from a Stanley Cup in 1992-93, head coach Alain Vigneault wasn’t given much to work with as a result of GM Rejean Houle’s inexperience, and the team struggled accordingly.  From 1998-99 to 2000-01, the Habs failed to make the playoffs every single year, something that hadn’t happened since the 1919-20 season, when there were only four teams in the NHL.

Because of this, the rosters from these late 90s teams are a mesh of random minor leaguers and fringe bottom six players, some of which would have most likely never played in the NHL had they not landed in Montreal. Whether it be due to a lack of opportunities or a simple lack of skill, let’s take a look at four of the lesser-known players from the late 90s Montreal Canadiens rosters.

Jason Dawe

A second-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1991, Jason Dawe actually managed to put together a few decent seasons in the NHL before landing in Montreal. After finishing his junior career with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 1992-93, Dawe spent two and a half years with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Making the Sabres roster full time in 1995-96, Dawe caught on fire producing 50 points in 67 games. He would go on to record two more 20 goal seasons in Buffalo before being traded to the New York Islanders towards the end of the 1997-98 season.

After a disappointing start the next season, recording five points over 22 games, the Islanders placed Dawe on waivers where he was subsequently claimed by the Montreal Canadiens. Hoping that he could rediscover his offensive game, Dawe instead struggled further, Recording just 9 points over 37 games. Following this, Dawe would play only 4 more NHL games, spending 3 years with the Hartford Wolf Pack before finishing his career in the ECHL in 2004-05.

Jean-Francois Jomphe

After struggling to remain healthy in his junior career in the QMJHL, Jean-Francois Jomphe had to mind his time in the minors before getting his NHL shot. After spending the shortened 1994-95 season playing for the Canadian National Team, Jomphe signed with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, playing one full season for the team in 1996-97 as an offensive, bottom-six forward. After bouncing around the IHL and AHL for the next 2 years, the Phoenix Coyotes traded Jomphe to the Canadiens for cash. (Remember when NHL teams could do that?)

Name aside (which yes is a probable reason why he was acquired), Jomphe had shown some decent offensive skills at the AHL level, becoming an integral part of the Fredericton Canadiens playoff run in 1998-99. In between, Jomphe played six games for the Habs, recording no points. After this, Jomphe went overseas, playing three years in the DEL before finishing his career in the Swiss B league in 2004-05.

Andrei Bashkirov

Whenever I speak to Canadiens fans about the late 90s Habs teams, most don’t seem to remember Andrei Bashkirov, both as a member of the Montreal Canadiens and as a player in general. While this is understandable in some respects, the 5th round pick of the team in 1998 spent four years in the organization, getting into 30 NHL games in the process. Before being drafted by the Canadiens, Bashkirov spent four years in the winding landscape of 90s minor league hockey, Spending time in the AHL, ECHL, and UHL.  Joining the IHL’s Fort Wayne Komets in 1997-98, Bashkirov flanked an all Russian line alongside forwards Konstantin Shafronov and Vyacheslav Butsayev.

Recording 76 points over 65 games, Bashkirov’s offensive potential was noteworthy, and its this potential that kept the Montreal Canadiens interest over his four years with the team. While he had his moments with AHL Fredericton and the Quebec Citadelles, he simply never put in his full effort, and only recorded 3 assists in his 30-game stint in Montreal. After the 2000-01 season, Bashkirov left for overseas, spending time in the Swiss A and B league, as well as the KHL and Russian super league, retiring after the 2008-09 season.

Dave Morissette

Now best known as an analyst for TVA sports in Quebec, there’s a good chance Dave Morrisette would have never played in the NHL had he not landed in Montreal. A seventh-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1991, Morrisette spent the next seven years split between the AHL, ECHL, and WHPL, before the Canadiens signed him as a free agent after the 1997-98 season. A native of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Morissette was known, for one thing, his fists, and even then, his skills were average at best compared to most NHL enforcers.

After other players like Jim Cummins, Sylvain Blouin, and even first-round pick Terry Ryan struggled with both their hockey skill and fighting abilities, Morissette got the call, playing 10 games sprinkled over different parts of the 1998-99 season. Most famously, he was able to land a KO on legendary enforcer Bob Probert in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, who was admittedly a shell of his former self.

After playing one more game for the team the next year, Morissette retired after the 2000-01 season. Splitting the season between the British Ice Hockey League and WPHL, Morissette left satisfied with getting his NHL shot.