Wilf Field
Born in Winnipeg, this defenceman played on the 1935 Memorial Cup champion Winnipeg Monarchs. He turned pro in 1936 and played 604 games over a 16 year career. He played 214 games in the NHL with the New York Americans, Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Black Hawks. He played 9 games with Montreal in 1944-45 then was a member of the 1946 AHL Calder Cup champion Buffalo Bisons.
Born in Thetford Mines, Quebec on January 12, 1920, Bob Fillion grew up playing hockey. In addition to him, his six brothers also played at a professional or senior level. In 1938 he left Thetford Mines to join the Canadiens’ farm team, the Verdun Maple Leafs, then played seven seasons with the Canadiens between 1943 and 1950, amassing 103 points (42 goals, 61 assists) in 327 regular season games, and won two Stanley Cups in 1944 and 1946.
Rosario Joanette
Rosario Joanette came to the Canadiens on loan from the Quebec Professional Hockey League’s Valleyfield Braves on Dec. 27, 1944 and then again on Mar. 10, 1945, representing his only two games with the club. He recorded one assist as well as four minutes of penalty time.
Vern was traded to Montreal by Springfield of the AHL for Charles Gagnon and future considerations on April 18, 1950. The Preston, Ontario native made the Montreal Canadiens roster for most of the 1950-51 season and scored 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points in his 50 game stay with the Canadiens.
Frank King
Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Frank King’s rights were sold to the Canadiens by the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Barons on Apr. 12, 1950. In his only stint in the NHL, King played a total of 10 games with the Habs during the team’s 1950-51 campaign, scoring one goal and amassing two penalty minutes.
Defenseman and Montreal, Quebec native Ernest Laforce came to the Canadiens on loan from the Quebec Senior Hockey League’s Montreal Royals on Mar. 4, 1943. He played one game with the Habs in 1942-43, scoring no points.
Hal Laycoe
One of a very few NHLers to wear eyeglasses while playing, this 6-foot-2 defenseman broke in with the Rangers in 1945-46 and came to Montreal in the trade that sent Buddy O’Connor and Frank Eddols to the Big Apple. Laycoe split the season between the AHL Buffalo Bisons and the big club, making 14 NHL appearances in 1947-48. Would play 3 more seasons in Montreal before being traded to Boston towards the end of the 1950-51 campaign and spent the next five seasons patrolling the Bruins’ blue line.
In an era when defensemen rarely powered the attack, Roger Léger, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound blue-liner, was always an offensive threat. A high-scoring junior player, he had his first taste of NHL action with the New York Rangers, playing a handful of games in the 1943-44 season. Leger made his way to Montreal in time for the 1946-47 season and, seeing action in 49 games, the 27-year-old proved he belonged in the NHL. Over 4 seasons and 180 games he notched 17 goals and 68 points.
Doug Lewis
Born in Winnipeg, Doug Lewis had a 10 year pro career that included a 3 game stop, his only NHL appearances, with the Habs in 1946-47. Failed to make the scorecard despite notching 20 or more goals 3 times in AHL.
Jacques joined the Canadiens for 1947-48 after playing senior hockey with the Montreal Royals the prior year. Saw action in 56 games scoring 7 goals and 15 points but would only play 3 games the next year. Spent 11 more seasons in minor pro ranks before retiring after the 1959-60 AHL season.
Murdo MacKay
Hailing from Fort William, Ontario, center and right-wiger Murdo Mackay played a total of 34 career NHL games, all with the Canadiens, spread out over four seasons, as well as 15 more in the playoffs. He notably helped the Habs reach the Stanley Cup Finals during their 1946-47 campaign.
Signed as a free agent by Montreal, October 28, 1943 and played 56 games in the NHL, all with the Canadiens. He won the Stanley Cup in 1944 with them before returning to the QSHL.
Hubert Macey
Hailing from Big River, Saskatchewan center and right-winger Hubert Macey made his NHL debut as a member of the New York Rangers. After two seasons with the organization, he was traded to the Canadiens on Jan. 12, 1944 along with Nestor Lubeck and Spence Tatchell in exchange for Kilby MacDonald. He played 19 games with the Habs – his last in the NHL – during their 1946-47 campaign, recording one assist.
Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, defenseman Tom Manastersky signed a contract with the Canadiens on Dec. 18, 1950. He played his only six games in the NHL with the Habs during their 1950-51 campaign, recording no points.
Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Sidney McNabney came to the Canadiens on loan from the AHL’s Buffalo Bisons on Mar. 26, 1951. He played five games with the Habs during the 1951 playoffs, recording one assist and two penalty minutes. Following his short stint with the Canadiens, McNabney finished his career in the minors.
Right-winger and Antiginish, Nova-Scotia native Irving McGibbon signed with the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 16, 1941. He played only one game with the Blue-Blanc-Rouge in 1942-43 during which he received two penalty minutes.
William Meronek
Originally from Stony Mountain, Manitoba, center William Meronek signed a contract with the Canadiens on Feb. 1, 1940. He enjoyed two separate stints with the Montreal organization, playing a total of 20 games for the team, recording five goals and eight assists in the process.
Pete Morin signed a contract with the Canadiens on Nov. 28, 1941. During his only season in the NHL, Morin formed a line with Buddy O’Connor and Gerry Heffernan that was nicknamed the “Razzle Dazzle Line”. In 32 games, he recorded 10 goals and 12 assists. The following year, he returned to play for the Quebec Hockey League’s Montreal Royals.
Herbert O'Connor
According to conventional wisdom, 5-foot-7, 142-pound Herbert “Buddy” O’Connor was too small to play in the rough-and-tumble NHL. The Montreal native proved the experts wrong, playing six stellar seasons with the Canadiens to begin his Hall of Fame career. In his first three seasons with the Canadiens, the newcomer accumulated over 100 assists but knew how to light the lamp too, regularly hitting double figures. In 1944-45, he scored 21 times, his best season in a Habs uniform. He was dealt to the New York Rangers after the 1946-47 campaign and there earned both the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player, as well as the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship combined with superior play.
Originally from Semans, Saskatchewan, James O’Neill made his NHL debut with the Bruins in 1931-32 and went on to play four seasons with the Boston squad. He was traded to the Canadiens by the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Barons on May 17, 1940 in exchange for Bill Summerhill and Bill MacKenzie. Over the course of the following two seasons O’Neill played 19 games for the Habs during which he recorded four assists before going on to continue his career in the American League.
George Pargeter
Originally from Calgary, Alberta, left-winger George Parteger was traded to the Canadiens by the American Hockey League’s Springfield Indians on Nov. 15, 1946 in exchange for John Quilty. He played four games with the Habs in his only stint in the NHL, during their 1946-47 campaign, recording no points. Pargeter was loaned to the Buffalo Bisons on Nov. 27, 1946.
Claimed by Montreal from Buffalo (AHL) in Inter-League Draft, June 14, 1945 Jim Peters already had 2 Stanley Cup wins in Detroit. Added another with Canadiens in 1946 and over 3 seasons and 120 games had 23 goals and 58 points. Dealt to Boston in 1947 and spent another 8 years in NHL with Bruins, Red Wings and Blackhawks.
Gerry Plamondon
Gerry Plamondon played 74 games in the National Hockey League, all with the Canadiens, between 1945 and 1951. He had seven goals and 20 points, plus five goals and seven points in 11 career playoff games. In 1945-46 he played the final six games of the regular season with the Canadiens and became a Stanley Cup champ as the Habs swept Chicago 4-0 in the semifinals and beat Boston 4-1 in the final.
Jack Portland was best known for playing with the Boston Bruins, alongside defensive linemate Eddie Shore. He also had two stints with the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. All told he played 381 NHL games, and 33 more in the playoffs, scoring 15 goals and 71 points in regular season and1 goal and 4 points in the playoffs.
Terry Reardon
Loaned to Montreal by Boston for the loan of Paul Gauthier's NHL rights, November 5, 1941 Tery Reardon played junior with the Brandon Wheat Kings and won the MJHL scoring title in 1938. He had a six year NHL career winning the Stanley Cup with Boston Bruins in 1941. Played 46 ganes with Habs over 2 years scoring 23 goals and 46 points.
A strong two-way player, Riopelle spent two seasons with the Montreal Royals, playing in front of Forum fans. In 1946-47, the team won the Allan Cup and a half dozen players from the championship team took their first strides on NHL ice with the Habs the following year. Making the most of his offensive chances, Riopelle increased his scoring totals annually. From a five-goal freshman campaign in 1947-48, he doubled to 10 as a sophomore and then potted an even dozen in 1949-50, his final NHL campaign.
Claude Robert
Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, left-winger Claude Robert was playing for the Canadiens’ farm team, the American Hockey League’s Cincinnati Mohawks, when he was called up to the NHL in 1950-51. In his only stint with the Habs, he played 23 games with the team, during the course of which he recorded one goal.
George Robertson was traded to the Canadiens by the New York Rangers on Aug. 19, 1947, along with Hal Laycoe and Joe Bell in exchange for Buddy O’Connor and Frank Eddols. He made his NHL debut, playing one game with the Habs during their 1947-48 campaign. The following season Robertson suited up for another 30 games with the team, recording two goals and five assists. He continued his career in the Minors until 1955-56.
Alex Smart
Alex Smart signed a contract with the Canadiens on Feb. 1, 1943. He played eight games with the Habs in the 1942-43 season. He scored five goals and added two assists during that, his only stint in the NHL. On Jan. 14, 1943, Smart made NHL history as the only player to have ever scored a hat trick in his first game in the League.
Originally from Basswood, Manitoba, Stuart Smith signed a contract with the Canadiens on Mar. 4, 1940. Between 1940 and 1942, he played five games for the Habs during which he scored two goals and added two assists.
Frank Stahan
Originally from Minnedosa, Manitoba, Francis Stahan came to the Canadiens on loan from the Quebec Senior Hockey League’s Montreal Royals on Mar. 22, 1945 to help the Habs out during their 1944-45 playoff run. Over the course of the three games he played in a Canadiens jersey against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Stahan posted an assist and was assessed two penalty minutes.
Nils Tremblay was signed as a free agent by Montreal, November 14, 1944. In his debut game with the Canadiens, Tremblay recorded his first and only point with the team, an assist. Tremblay would later be recalled one more time with the Canadiens during the 1945-46 season but would be held scoreless over two games.
Louis Trudel
Louis Trudel was traded to Montreal by Chicago for Joffre Desilets on August 26, 1938. He was born in Massachusetts to Canadian parents and moved to Edmonton, Alberta where he played junior hockey. Trudel played 305 games in the NHL with the Canadiens and Black Hawks and won two Stanley Cups with Chicago in 1934 and 1938.
Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, Cornell Tudin signed a contract with the Canadiens on Feb. 25, 1941. During his only stint in the NHL, Tudin played four games with the Habs during their 1941-42 campaign, recording a single assist.
Bob Walton
Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, right-winger Robert Walton signed a contract with the Canadiens on Feb. 2, 1942. He played his only four games in the NHL with the Habs during their 1943-44 campaign, recording no points.
Scrappy and competitive, Phil Watson spent all but one of his 13 NHL campaigns with New York winning a Stanley Cup there in 1940. The single season he did not call Madison Square Garden home was spent with the Canadiens in 1943-44. The fiery Watson chipped in 49 of them, notching 17 goals, his best total to date. He also spent 61 minutes in the penalty box, third-highest among Habs players that season. A reliable performer once the playoffs got underway, Watson continued to give everything he had on every shift. He picked up eight points in the nine games, leading the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup Championship in 1944, tying for the team lead with 16 penalty minutes in the postseason. The 1944 playoffs proved to be Watson’s final postseason appearance as a player. He returned to the Rangers and hung up his skates following the 1947-48 season to join the coaching ranks.
John Aiken
Born in Arlington, Massachusetts, U.S.A., goaltender Donald Aiken was loaned to the Canadiens by the Boston Bruins for one game to replace the injured Jacques Plante in the second period of their March 13, 1958 tilt. In 34 minutes of ice time, Aiken let in six goals as the Canadiens fell to the Bruins 7-3 at the Boston Garden.
John Bownass signed a contract with the Canadiens on Oct. 21, 1951. He returned to the team in 1957-58 after having been loaned to the Seattle Americans in November of 1957, and played four games with the Habs, recording one assist. He was claimed by the American Hockey League’s Buffalo Bisons from the Quebec Hockey League’s Montreal Royals as part of the inter-league draft on Jun. 3, 1958.
Originally from Montreal, Quebec, defenseman and left-winger Reg Fleming made his NHL debut with the Canadiens, playing three games with them during their 1959-60 campaign. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on Jun. 7, 1960 and went on to play 11 seasons in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 1962 while also hitting the ice for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres during his time in the NHL.
Rogie Vachon turned pro with the Central Professional Hockey League’s Houston Apollos in 1966-67. He appeared in 34 games before being called up to the big club towards the end of the season. Vachon played 19 games between the pipes, winning 11 and tying four others. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound rookie was chosen to backstop the Canadiens during the playoffs. With Vachon playing nine of the 10 postseason games, Montreal swept New York in the semifinals and extended Toronto to six games before falling to the Maple Leafs.
Selected by Boston in the 1964 Amateur Draft, Dryden was traded to Montreal shortly thereafter, making his debut with the Habs in the final days of the 1970-71 season. Dryden, who had played six games for the club heading into the playoffs, was tapped as the starter in goal for the Habs in the postseason. The team’s first round opponent was the Boston Bruins, the defending Stanley Cup Champions and the most feared-team in the league. Seven games later, the Bruins were on the outside looking in as the Canadiens went on to become the Cinderella team of 1971, riding the 6-foot-4, 205-pound goalie’s back all the way to an unexpected Stanley Cup title.
Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Michel Plasse was selected by the Canadiens as the first-overall pick in the 1968 NHL Entry Draft. His rights were sold to St. Louis on Dec. 11, 1970, and he would go on to make his debut with the Blues on Mar. 30, 1971 against the L.A. Kings. The Blues sold his rights back to the Montreal organization on Aug. 23, 1971. Backing up Ken Dryden for the Canadiens 1972-73 campaign, he took part in 17 games and finished by winning the Stanley Cup with the team that season.