Three Candidates For The Next Retired Canadiens Number

UNIONDALE, NY - CIRCA 1978: Steve Shutt #22 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the New York Islanders during an NHL Hockey game circa 1978 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Shutt's playing career went from 1972-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NY - CIRCA 1978: Steve Shutt #22 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the New York Islanders during an NHL Hockey game circa 1978 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Shutt's playing career went from 1972-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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When your franchise wins 24 Stanley Cups (or 25 depending on which historian you speak with), you’re bound to have a plethora of candidates for number retirement. The Montreal Canadiens have honored 18 players through 15 numbers, the most in the NHL, by having their names and numbers floating the rafters of the Montreal Forum and eventually the Bell Center.

Montreal spotlight can be positive, negative
Montreal spotlight can be positive, negative

Amazingly, there are still a good number of players that are deserving of such treatment. While modern players such as Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov and perhaps Carey Price might get recognition someday, there are players of an older generation that are more deserving at this point.

The Canadiens have always used the prerequisite that a player must be part of the Hall of Fame in order for their number to be retired, so we will do the same.

Without further ado, here are three players that should have had their numbers retired already.