Montreal Canadiens most iconic line of all time was born on this day.
The Montreal Canadiens have had countless iconic players, coaches and general managers over the years.
The list of Canadiens in the Hockey Hall of Fame is a lengthy one and the awards and accolades won and accomplished by players wearing a Habs sweater is impressive.
It was on this day in 1943 that the most fabled line in Habs history was put together for the first time.
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The famous Punch Line was born 77 years ago tonight. The Canadiens began the 1943-44 season facing the Boston Bruins and for the first time ever, Toe Blake, Elmer Lach and Rocket Richard were playing on a line. Blake scored the final goal of the game the pulled the Habs even with the Bruins and resulted in a 2-2 tie.
The three were teammates the previous season but Richard only played 16 games as a rookie. He missed most of the season with a broken leg, but returned healthy the following year and switched to the number 9. The first time he wore the number was in that 2-2 tie with the Bruins as he lined up to the right of Lach and Blake.
The trio would find immediate chemistry with Richard finishing 6th in goals and Lach landing second in the league in assists. They were even better the following year when Richard became the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals. He scored 18 more goals than anyone else in the league and Lach led the league in assists by a wide margin. The three Habs players finished first, second and third in points with Lach leading the way and setting a league record with 80 points.
The trio wasn’t quite as dominant after that season, with The Rocket finishing fourth in goals the following year, but Lach led the league in assists again.
The line remained dominant when together, but an injury limited Lach in 1946-47 and a broken leg the following year forced Blake to retire.
Injuries limited the longevity of this iconic trio but not before they led the Canadiens to Stanley Cup victories in 1944 and 1946. In four full seasons together, they won two Cups, made it to another finals, won the league’s scoring race twice, and led the league in goals while setting the record for most goals and most point by an individual in a season.
It was 77 years ago tonight that the line was first put together but to this day every Habs fan knows who played on the Punch Line.