Video Clips from the Habs Blackhawks ‘65 Final

Instead of doing a retrospective of Jacques Martin’s first calendar year as Montreal Canadiens head coach, I thought I’d throw up a couple YouTube Clips from the 1965 Stanley Cup Final.

The series would be a seven-game ordeal between Montreal and the Chicago Blackhawks.

I think these vids will be more entertaining than a best-of video montage of Martin’s pressers, don’t you?

Game Five (April 27): The Canadiens took the game with a 6-0 pasting of Chicago. Things got rough when John Ferguson and Eric Nesterenko had at it.

Game Seven (May 1): The Canadiens win the game 4-0 to claim a 13th Stanley Cup. This is the closing minutes of the game that includes the Cup presentation and the first ever Conn Smythe Trophy to Jean Beliveau.

Habs Twelve Days of Trivia Contest: Day 1

With the festive season, and Canadiens Centennial upon us, I decided to put a little trivia contest together for my readers.

Each day, from December 1 to December 12, I will post a trivia question about the Montreal Canadiens.

Don’t worry, they won’t be too difficult.

Once all the questions are posted, send me an email with all twelve answers.

Entries must be received by December 14, 2009.

All correct entries will be placed in a hat, and the lucky winner drawn.

The Prize pack will consist of:

• A DVD copy of the original series of “Peter Puck : How to Play the Game”
• Five packs of cards from the Canadiens Upper Deck Centennial Set
• A set of reusable Montreal Canadiens Stickers
• A Montreal Canadiens bumper sticker
• A die-cut indoor/outdoor magnet
• A collection of four 1/64 Die-Cast Canadiens vehicles
• An assortment of 50 Montreal Canadiens hockey cards with some nice surprises in them

The prize pack will have an approximate value of $50.00

Good Luck to all!

Here’s trivia question number one:

This Canadiens Hall of Famer was the first ever recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy, name him?

Happy Birthday St. Patrick!

 “I can't really hear what Jeremy (Roenick) says, because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugged my ears.” – Patrick Roy

A Happy 44th Birthday to arguably one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history.

Patrick Roy was born on this day in 1965.

A fan of the rival Quebec Nordiques, Roy was drafted in the 3rd round (51st overall) by the rival Montreal Canadiens.

On February 23, 1985, he made his NHL debut when he replaced the Canadiens starting goaltender Doug Soetaert in the third period, and getting his first of 551 career NHL wins.

After two Conn Smythe winning campaigns leading the Canadiens to Stanley Cup victories in 1986 and 1993.

Roy was an icon in Montreal, winning three Vezina Trophies and four Jennings Trophies in le bleu-blanc et rouge. He was named to three First All-Star and two Second All-Star Teams with the Canadiens.

After the infamous “Le Trade” of 1995, Roy won two more Stanley Cups with his new team, the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and 2001 taking another Smythe trophy that year.

Patrick Roy retired in 2003, and  was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.

Patrick “came home” when the  Montreal Canadiens retired his #33 on November 22, 2008.

At the news conference announcing Roy's jersey retirement, Roy stated that it was time for him to move on in regards to what happened in 1995, and that he hoped the Canadiens would do the same.

Obviously, they have.

More on Patrick Roy’s career can be found on the Legends of Hockey and on the Canadiens “Our History” site.

Hockey Hall of Fame Part Two: Awards and history in every corner!

 

Just a few weeks back, I did a write-up on the tremendous array of Montreal Canadiens exhibits that I discovered during my visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Clearly there is much more to behold.

Before you even have to pay admission, I found myself in the entrance foyer admiring the huge Wall of Pucks, Mask Columns and the New Acquisitions display that offers a sneak peak at the newest additions to the Hall.

A small sampling in the “New Aquisitions” display in the entrance foyer

You then pay your admission and immediately get drawn to the nine foot statues of Fred “Cyclone” Taylor and Ken Dryden that guard the NHL Zone and NHL Legends area.

The Canadiens Centennial Exhibit occupies the centre of the NHL Zone but the perimeter area hosts a variety of exhibits including features on, most notably, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr.

The newest inductees are also featured, as well as some of the great moments in hockey are featured.

 The Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr exhibits

Current NHL hockey is also featured in the NHL Today area that offers a cabinet area for each of the current NHL divisions, ensuring that even recent events by current players are being chronicled.

The NHL Retro area highlights defunct NHL teams as well as the early leagues pre-NHL and defunct teams and leagues.

 

Defunct teams and leagues (including the WHA)

History buffs will enjoy perusing through the pre-NHL displays

The NHL Milestones area highlights great the greatest moments in NHL history, including Wayne Gretzky’s 802nd career goal.

 The net, puck, stick and gloves from Gretzky’s 802nd goal

The Stanley Cup Dynasty are encapsulates the greatest dynasties in NHL history. I don’t need to tell you which ones drew my attention.

I was even amazed to see that trainers in the NHL are honored for their service by the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS) with an area honoring 16 former trainers to date, including the Canadiens’ Eddy Palchuk.

I’m off into the Panasonic Hometown Hockey area, where each of the 30 NHL teams has a cabinet with a brief team history and mention of their minor league affiliates.

You also find a collection of hardware awarded to different leagues (past and present). On display are the Allan Cup, Memorial Cup, Calder Cup and Avco Cup to name a few.

Memorial Cup (top) and Calder Cup displays

Interactive display consoles are about where users could find a player by name, team or town.

In the heart of this area is the most popular of the interactive areas, the NHLPA Be A Player Zone.

Here fans of all ages can see if they can stop a Wayne Gretzky slapshot or get a goal past Ed Belfour on lifesize simulators.

I went four for five on the All-Star level between the pipes.  No flash photos were allowed as to not offset the sensors so you’ll have to take my word.

Off into the corner, the Upper Deck Collectors corner offers a tremendous display of hockey cards and memorabilia.

Cards depiciting the Conn Smythe Trophy Winners (some rookie cards) 

2K Sports even had a zone where fans could try their hand at NHL 2K9.

In back, a huge wall chronicled the history of broadcasting in hockey.

I took a video of it and it is quite impressive. It also includes an interactive Broadcast Museum where you can look back at historical broadcast clips.

Upstairs is the TSN/RDS area. Here fans can recreate a variety of momentous goals in hockey history. The ‘72 Henderson seemed to be the one of choice.

There’s also a TSN Production area, where fans can create their own highlight reel and play the role of TSN director/producer.

Back downstairs to and I made my way back across the Hall and up the stairs to the Great Hall is located.

I snapped a shot of this large shot of the Penguins Cup winning team on the way up the stairs.

This is the area where the Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy, Art Ross, Vezina, etc. are showcased as well as the numerous plaques that honor the members of the Hall.

Off to one side is Lord Stanley’s vault, which houses the original Stanley Cup, retired bands and other artifacts.

  In the center if the Great Hall is the Stanley Cup itself.

The Hart and Conn Smythe Trophies

The NHL Awards had just concluded a few days prior to my visit, so the signs next to the individual awards had yet to be updated.

The Selke and Vezina Trophies

I worked my way over to the huge walls that adorn the names of the players and builders of this great game. Spotting familiar faces as I worked my way around.

One area has blanked spaces for future members. A man and his son were looking through the names. “Who is going there?,”the boy asked. His dad was unsure and I spoke up as I pointed to four blank spaces, “Steve Yzerman, Brain Leetch, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille.”

Three days later, the Hall of Fame confirmed my predictions.

IN one corner of the Great Hall is a book signed by the members if the Hall of Fame. It’s a thick one too. Encased in glass it would be a thrill to one day get a chance to turn through the pages.

For those who need to sit and rest there feet while touring the Hall, you can relax in the wing-backed chairs of the Members Lounge.

If that doesn’t relax you, the Esso Theatre runs a rotation of archival video and film footage to sit and enjoy or you can visit the Hartland Molson Theatre, which was running The 2008 Cup Final edition of the film The Stanley Cup Odyssey on my visit.

If there’s one thing I cannot stress enough if you visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, is to look everywhere; up, down over your shoulder left and right.

There’s so much to see and you don’t want to miss a thing, like this mural of a vintage hockey game below that was tucked in a corner.

Plan for lots of time too, and enjoy it!

I’ve added the two other photo albums of pics that I took on on these two links:

Album One (Stanley Cup and trophies)

Album Two (Everything Else)

Did I miss anything on here? International Hockey maybe? That my readers is an installment on it’s own that will be up in another week or so.

The Hockey Hall of Fame, Part One: A must visit for Canadiens Fans!

I recently had some time in Toronto to play tourist and explore the Hockey Hall of Fame.

For the record, the last time I paid a visit to the Hall was nearly 20 years ago in it’s old diminutive home at the Exhibition grounds.

Now situated in the old Bank of Montreal Building on the northwest corner of Front and Yonge, the Hall has a massive 57,000 square foot facility to display hockey’s history.

Upon entering the foyer to the Hall through the lower level of the building, one finds a large goalie mask display known as the Mask Columns.

Encased in the columns are Ken Dryden’s pretzel mask and two masks that he used later in his career. It also shows how one of these fiberglass mask was made.

Behind the columns is a wall showcasing 1300 pucks acquired at different arenas and tournaments around the world.

After paying my $15 admission, that was worth every penny, one of the first things you see are nine foot statues of Dryden and Fred “Cyclone”Taylor.

I admired the massive statue of my childhood hero then glanced into the feature exhibit area that the statues guard.

A tremendous Montreal Canadiens Centennial exhibit is currently on display with memorabilia, photos, and equipment from the storied team.

A series of cabinets feature many of the team’s most honored players.

I made several passes through this exhibit during my visit, spotting something else each time.

From Jacques Plante’s personal Hart Trophy or a copy of the program from the 1975 New Year’s Eve game against Central Red Army to Jose Theodore’s toque from the Heritage Game and Joe Hall’s 1918 contract from 1918 for $700, many a unique Canadiens relic is to be found in this exhibit.

The note issued by Campbell and Selke, forfeiting the game against Detroit during the Richard Riots 

At the far end, a large video screen runs episodes of The Heroes of Hockey series, featuring Habs Hall of Famers.

If there was a chair, I would have sat there for them all!

A variety of exhibits surround the centerpiece including a tribute area of the famed Stanley Cup dynasties.

The Canadiens own three of these displays – The four Cup run from the ‘70s, the “Forgotten Dynasty” four in five from 1965 to 1969 and the unequalled five straight from 1956-1960.

 

The 70’s display shown above encases Ken Dryden’s set of gloves that he used throughout his final season (1978-79).

As I glanced through these fantastic displays, I couldn’t help but wonder, “If that stick, jersey, glove could only talk, what stories it could tell.”

My attention then turned to one of the most popular exhibits in the hall, the to-scale replica Montreal Canadiens dressing room from the Montreal Forum.

With locker stalls for several of the Canadiens Hall of Fame players, it’s interesting to look at the equipment used in the various eras.

Looking at knee pads similar to the ones Guy Lafleur once used, I thought about the massive, yet equally if not lighter, ones I have in my bag at home.

I sat down on the bench of Patrick Roy’s stall and took the massive goal pads up to my leg. As I did I looked at the smaller brown leather pads that Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante once used.

More history is played on video monitors above the room while you tour around.

On a quiet June Sunday morning, I was able to take a high detailed video of the room.

Making my way to the Upper Deck Collector’s Corner I found a treasure trove of Canadiens memorabilia.

Rookie cards of Dryden, Roy and Lafleur adorn one of the card displays while a complete Shiriff/Salada Coin set (in it’s display) was mounted on another.

I even came across a cardboard stand-up of Doug Risebrough from the 1970’s. I still have this one and several other of these at home still intact in their packaged form!

A media pass from the 1993 All-Star Game was found in a huge cabinet of passes and tickets.

I worked my way to the Great Hall, which houses the Stanley Cup, the awards trophies and the Hall of Fame plaques of all the inductees, including 44 players and builders from the Canadiens.

The wall of inductees is rather tall so you may need to look waaaaay up to find your favorite player.

  In Lord Stanley’s vault, I discovered some of the “retired” rings removed from the Stanley Cup. A few acknowledged previous Canadiens teams, so alas not all 24 Cup engravings are on the cup together.

Another find was one of the first personal miniature cups issued out to winning Stanley Cup players and management in 1957-58.

I clearly can spend another day in detail of this fantastic facility and was also interested to know that a huge resource centre is also available for public use by appointment only.

On your way out, you’ll find a pile of Canadiens collectibles to add to your collection at the Spirit of Hockey store.

I budgeted this time and just grabbed a 100th Anniversary game puck for this trip. I have a list in case you are going and would like to get me something. :)

I found it interesting that some Saku Koivu t-shirts were on at clearance prices. My trip was 10 days before the free-agent deadline.

Did the Hall know something ahead of time?

In the meantime, I offer my complete collection of Canadiens exhibit photos taken during my visit here.

I will be adding a second part on International hockey as well as another installment on the rest of the Hall  of Fame to my site in the coming weeks.