On this week’s edition of Canadiens’ History: Two Lafleurs(?!), tv legends, iron man streaks and more!
Monday March 21st
Hockey Night In Canada is Born
On this day, the year of our Lord 1951, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, the CBC, aired their very first hockey game on television. The CBC had been broadcasting hockey games on the radio for over 25 years, but a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens at the old Maple Leafs Garden. The Toronto Maple Leafs won that game 2-0.
Technically the game aired, but it is hard to really say that. The game was viewed by just 6 people, who were in the building. But it did lay the groundwork for one of the staples of Canadian television for the next half decade. The CBC lost the exclusive rights to NHL games to Rogers, although they do have the rights to Saturday night games and the playoffs.
Happy Birthday Sven Andrighetto
Sven Andrighetto was born on March 21st, 1993, in Sumiswald, Switzerland. He was picked by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round, 86th overall in 2013, which was the last year that he could be drafted in the NHL, and played 73 games with the Canadiens.
In 2017 Andrighetto was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Andreas Martinsen, and became the very first Swiss player to play for the Avalanche. And to put into perspective how bad the Avalanche were at the time, Andrighetto, a player that scored just 11 career NHL goals before the trade, was playing with Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the top line.
Mahovlich Scores 500
In 1973, Frank Mahovlich scored his 500th career goal in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, a game that the Montreal Canadiens would win 3-2. Mahovlich was the third player to score his 500th goal in a Montreal Canadiens uniform, behind Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard.
Most of Mahovlich’s goals came in his 11 seasons as a Toronto Maple Leafs, and he played 4 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. Despite coming to the Canadiens late in his career, Mahovlich had two of his best seasons in Montreal, scoring 96 and 93 points in 1971-72 and 1972-73.
Frank Mahovlich came to Montreal and played with his younger brother Peter Mahovlich, who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, but came to Montreal in 1969. Frank, the Big M, finished his career with 533 goals and 1,103 points in 1,181 games, while Peter, the Little M, had 288 goals and 773 points in 884 games.
Lafleur is Born
On March 21st, 1899, the first Lafleur to play as a member of the Montreal Canadiens was born in the Nation’s Capital: Ottawa, Ontario. Roland Lafleur played just one game with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1924-25 season. Lafleur registered no points in his sole game.