Montreal Canadiens: Ten Scariest Players In Franchise History
3. Sprague Cleghorn
Sprague Cleghorn played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1921-25. That puts him on the Habs exactly 100 years ago and his legend lives on to this day.
In fact, Mike Matheson just reached a milestone that brought Cleghorn’s name back into the news this week. Matheson scored his 40th point with the Canadiens in just his 56th game with the team. That is the second fastest defenseman in franchise history to reach 40 points.
The only defenseman to do it quicker was Sprague Cleghorn just over 100 years ago who scored 40 points in his first 46 games with the Canadiens.
From the NHL: With Mike Matheson’s assist last night (56GP), he became the second-fastest defenseman in franchise history to record 40 points with the Canadiens (NHL debut or otherwise) behind Sprague Cleghorn (46 GP) over 100 years ago.
— Kenzie Lalonde (@KenzieTSN) October 29, 2023
That shows Cleghorn would have been a scary player to face just because of his offensive ability. He was a rare defenseman back then who was willing to join the attack and he was obviously pretty good at it. That would make him a feared opponent, but by all accounts, his scoring ability was the least of his opponents worries.
Cleghorn’s play on the ice inspired the Lady Byng Trophy, not because he as so gentlemanly, as the award suggests, but because he was the complete opposite. The award was originally created to inspire the play opposite to what Cleghorn did. It was hoped the award would promote more gentlemanly conduct on the ice and entice a player like Cleghorn to change his ways.
It didn’t work.
Cleghorn was charged with assault for attacking an Ottawa Senators player with his stick and hitting him over the head in the 1923 playoffs. He was suspended by his own team, not the league, after that game. The Canadiens were so frustrated by his constant antics they didn’t want him on the ice anymore. And this was in the middle of the finals.
The Ottawa team tried to have him banned from ever playing in the league again as his attack on their player was a viscous attack with his stick that looked more like a lumberjack trying to split a thick piece of wood than anything seen on ice before.
Cleghorn was once described by King Clancy as a terrific stickhandler and a master of the butt-end. That pretty much sums it up. He could beat you with his stick both literally and figuratively which makes him one of the scariest players to ever play for the Canadiens.