Canadiens: The Commerce that Modified the Franchise Historical past

Sam Pollock was the Montreal Canadiens‘ GM for over 14 years and in that span, the Tricolore received 9 Stanley Cups. In fact, it is the gamers that truly win the Trophy by besting their opponents on the ice, however it actually would not harm to have the very best GM on the helm.

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Towards a Fashionable NHL

When he took over the function in 1964, the way in which to recruit gamers within the NHL had already modified, it wasn’t about discovering younger expertise and placing them within the groups that fed your group, it was about drafting. Because the Canadiens’ recruiting community had been so huge and environment friendly, the NHL granted them a compensation when the system modified; they might both choose a participant when their flip got here or they might choose two French Canadiens gamers of their selecting earlier than some other crew had made a choose.

Whereas this was an attention-grabbing strategical benefit, the Habs did not use that choice till 1968 once they opted to take Michel Plasse and Roger Belisle after which once more in 1969 once they picked Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif. After seven drafts and two during which the Canadiens used their choice, the NHL determined to remove the “French Canadian rule”. Attention-grabbing timing since in 1970, the primary general choose was Gilbert Perreault who turned the face of the Buffalo Sabres franchise.

The Commerce

A crafty fox, Pollock discovered a approach to make sure the Canadiens could be selecting first on the 1971 draft, regardless of profitable the Stanley Cup. The GM made a commerce with the struggling California Golden Seals in Could 1970, sending Montreal’s 1970 first-round choose, minor leaguer Ernie Hicke and money to California in return of the Golden Seals’ first-round choose on the 1971 draft and defenseman François Lacombe.

The Aftermath

The commerce would go down in historical past as a grasp stroke when Pollock used that first-round choose to assert Man Lafleur a number of days after Jean Beliveau had introduced his retirement. As one nice Frenchman bowed out, a brand new one was chosen. The transition wasn’t flawless although, le Démon Blond struggled within the early days of his NHL profession. In his first three seasons he racked up 64, 55 and 56 factors pale numbers in comparison with the 209 factors he had gotten in his final QMJHL season.

In 1974-75, the floodgates opened and Flower hit his stride, gathering 119 factors giving him the fourth place within the league’s scoring race. For the following 5 seasons, he would by no means rating lower than 125 factors and would win three Artwork Ross Trophies, three Lester B. Pearson Trophies, two Hart Trophies and one Conn Smythe Trophy because the playoffs MVP. On the finish of his profession, Lafleur had performed in 1126 video games and gathered 1353 factors with the Canadiens, the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques.

To today, Lafleur stays the chief in assists (728) and factors (1246) with the Montreal Canadiens. He is tenth in objective with 961, first in game-winning targets (94) and photographs (3204) and third in hat tips with 16. The Canadiens of the Seventies have been a improbable hockey machine, however one has to surprise if it could have received that many cups had Pollock by no means made that commerce.

As for François Lacombe, he performed a grand whole of three video games within the NHL, none of which have been with the Canadiens, however that issues little or no contemplating the legend Man Lafleur turned and what he has meant for the franchise.

In the meantime, Hicke would play two seasons in California earlier than being drafted by the Atlanta Flames in an enlargement draft. He performed a complete of 520 video games within the NHL and racked up 272 factors within the course of. As for the first-round choose the Golden Seal acquired within the commerce, they used it to draft Chris Oddleifson who by no means performed for them however did skate in 524 NHL video games selecting up 286 factors alongside the way in which.

A Nationwide Treasure

Man Lafleur stays the final true offensive juggernaut the Canadiens have been in a position to name their very own. These days, Montreal struggles to have a point-per-game participant and no one has been in a position to rating 50 targets in a season since Stéphane Richer. Flower managed to hit that magical mark six seasons in a row.

When Lafleur left this world on the age of 70 in 2022, Montreal was shellshocked and in mourning. The legend had a nationwide funeral which was televised and adopted by hockey followers all through the province. On high of being a tremendous hockey participant, Lafleur was additionally a outstanding human being who was all the time able to help for case. At the same time as his well being was declining, he saved on honoring the lots of of signing request he would obtain via the mail and even made a video look on TV when considered one of his greatest fan Chantal Machabee was appointed because the Canadiens’ VP of Communications.

The homage because the Bell Centre was transferring and that night time, there was no commercial on the boards, the night time was all about Man. Per week later, when the Canadiens ended their season on a 10-2 win towards the Panthers, some noticed it as the ultimate wink of an idol to his followers and the group chanted “Man! Man! Man!” in unison identical to it did when Flower dazzled them within the Seventies.

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