With the Montreal Canadiens honouring Andrei Markov on Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Jets, the team has set a precedent unlike any other when it comes to celebrating their alumni. It does not have to be about players you consider all-time greats for the franchise, or limited to a jersey being retired to the rafters. It can be a player who meant a lot to the fans and the city, or someone who was an underrated part of the franchise. We saw the Canadiens honour Saku Koivu in 2014, PK Subban in 2023, Shea Weber in 2024, and now Markov, but who could be the next former Canadien to have their own special night at the Bell Centre?
Tomas Plekanec
It is only right that a player who played 984 out of his 1001 career games in the NHL as a member of the Canadiens gets his own special night at the Bell Centre. Tomas Plekanec was a mainstay in the Canadiens' lineup for over a decade and a half.
The ideal second-line centreman, as good as he was offensively, he was just as good defensively. Plekanec was as consistent as they come, with seven 20-goal seasons and six with over 50 points. While being reliable on offence, it was his defensive game that brought the most value to the Canadiens.
He always played against the opponent's best offensive players, centred the Canadiens' penalty-kill, and whenever there was a crucial face-off, it was Plekanec who was tasked with taking it. Plekanec was a fan favourite and deserves his own night to be embraced by the fans in a city he called home for 15 years.
I am sure you will be able to spot a couple of fans rocking the turtleneck in honour of the player nicknamed Captain Turtleneck.
Max Pacioretty
The Max Pacioretty era in Montreal probably did not end in the way he would have liked, but at one point, he was the best offensive player on a roster that struggled to score goals.
In the early 2010s, the Canadiens were not a team loaded with talent, largely putting all their trust in the fact that they had the best goalie on the planet in Carey Price to help them win games, but the one player who consistently put the puck in the net, no matter who he was playing alongside, was Pacioretty.
There were times he finished the season with 10 to 20 more goals than the next closest player on the roster. Pacioretty had five 30-goal seasons as a member of the Canadiens, with a career-high of 39 he set in 2013-14. He was the 29th captain in the franchise's history and was an integral part of the team’s core for a decade.
We have seen the Canadiens honour Koivu and Subban shortly after they announced their retirements, and with the American-born sniper retiring before the start of this season, it might be only a matter of time before we see Pacioretty have his very own homecoming.
Josh Gorges
Josh Gorges may not be the first player you think of when asked this question, but while he was not the most flashy or offensively gifted player, he was still an integral part of the teams he was on. There are other players you would think of before getting to Gorges.
Alexei Kovalev would have been a more obvious choice. However, the Russian-born stickhandling artist has already turned down the Canadiens' offer due to his coaching duties in the KHL. Price is another likely candidate, but the Anahim Lake-born goaltender will likely have his own special night once his contract is over or gets elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, whichever happens first.
Now, back to Gorges, who won the Jacques Beauchamp Molson Trophy, given to the player who played a crucial role in the team’s success, but has not received the credit they deserved. Gorges played eight seasons in Montreal, and while he was never a huge point producer, with a career high of 23 in 2008-09. He did do one thing extremely well: block shots.
He was one of the premier shot blockers in the NHL, leading the league in that category in 2011-12 with 250. He wore his heart on his sleeve for the Canadiens, doing whatever was necessary to help the team win, even if he had to put his body on the line to do so.
Gorges prided himself on being a Canadien, so much so that when the team tried to trade him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he refused to waive his no-trade clause to go to one of the team’s rivals. He was not winning Norris trophies or quarterbacking the Canadiens’ power play, but his effort did not go unnoticed in Montreal.