Montreal Canadiens: All-Time Top 5 Wingers: #3 Yvan Cournoyer

The Montreal Canadiens have entered the quietest time on the calendar. While there is little to look forward to in the month of August, we decided to take a look back at some of the greatest players in franchise history. We keep on rolling through the countdown of the five best wingers in Canadiens history with Yvan Cournoyer.

Speed and Yvan Cournoyer were synonymous with one another; he was nicknamed the Roadrunner, and the pace at which he played the game was otherworldly. Cournoyer was 5’7″ of pure determination, and if anything, his smaller size was a blessing as his low center of gravity allowed him to evade defenders, before exploding up the ice. Paired with his hatred for losing, the Roadrunner’s tenacity led him to 10 Stanley Cup Championships in his career.

His passion and love for scoring goals made him a fan favourite, leading him and the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup-winning season in his first full year. A star in the OHA-Jr league with the Montreal Juniors, the Drummondville, QC., native scored 115 goals and 91 assists over three seasons in junior. He is one of the pioneers for the smaller winger thriving in a league with many bigger and stronger players.

Voted as one of the NHL’s Top 100 players, Cournoyer’s fast skating was something he always had, from a young kid to an NHL star. While his slight frame might have made you second-guess him, his speed made opponents fear playing against him. And the only way to slow him down is to stop him before he gets going, and to do that, you have to catch him.

His health and consistency made him a coach’s dream, as he was always available and able to maintain steady production. Scoring 25 or more goals in 11 of his 16 seasons, all of which he played in front of loyal fans at The Montreal Forum, at the time of Cournoyer’s retirement, he trailed only Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau on the Canadiens all-time scoring list. He was an integral piece to the Canadiens’ four straight Stanley Cup wins in the ’70s.

His accolades ensure the Cournoyer household’s trophy case will never be empty. His 10 Stanley Cup championships rank second behind fellow Montreal Canadien legend Henri Richard and his 11 rings. In the 1972-73 playoffs, he ranked number one in goals with 15, and points with 25.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982-83, just three years after his retirement. The diminutive winger captained the Habs for four of his 16 seasons and finished his career with 428 goals and 435 assists through 968 games. Cournoyer played just 15 games in 1978-79, before being forced to retire, and the Canadiens sent him out as a Stanley Cup champion.

Yvan Cournoyer, The Roadrunner, is one of the pioneers for small wingers, and the current NHL is well-represented by many, thanks to him. That’s why he is number three on our list of the greatest wingers to don the blue, blanc, et rouge.