For the Montreal Canadiens Centennial, I decided to put together an assortment of photos and images featuring hockey’s most storied franchise.
Some will likely be familiar ones, but I’m throwing in a few more lesser known ones as well.
To see the full size photo album, just click here.
Congratulations to the Montreal Canadiens on their Centennial!
Here's to another 100 years!
I’ll be brutally honest. This man is the reason I became a Montreal Canadiens fan.
At the age of 5, I one day flipped the channel from CBC-Toronto to CBC-Peterborough, which carried Canadiens games in the day, and saw the coolest goalie mask ever.
Ken Dryden playing for Cornell University
I drew that bullseye mask as a kid thousands of times. I also realized that his team won far more than they lost, and would see them take four straight Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979.
Dryden had already won two Cups, by the time I was three, after making his debut on March 13, 1971.
To think that if I hadn’t turned that dial, or even another goalie was in net that night, I may still have been subjected to the Toronto Maple Leafs and suffered oh so much.
Dryden retired, after the 1979 season, with six Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, Calder Trophy, five Vezina Trophies (three shared), five First Team and one Second Team all-star selections, 258 wins and a career 2.24 goals against average.
All that came amidst a year off, over a contract dispute, to complete his law degree. Oh and of course he was the also part of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.
As a kid, hockey news in the summer wasn’t as readily available as it is 30 years later. It wasn’t until I opened a pack of hockey cards that I saw the “Now retired” lettering printed on his card and realized he wasn’t coming back.
Dryden would go on to author what is considered the best hockey book ever written, “The Game”, in 1983 and be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the same year.
His #29 jersey would be retired by the Montreal Canadiens on January 29, 2007.
His post career resume is by far is one of the most impressive ever for a former NHL player.
An author of five books, a commentator for three Winter Olympics (including the 1980 Team USA Miracle on Ice), lawyer, business man, active politician, one-time president of the Toronto Maple Leafs for two years…… OK so he’s not perfect.
Happy Birthday Mr. Dryden and many more!
Another great birthday tribute comes from my HabsEyesOnthePrize colleague Francis Bouchard.
Tickets for the Montreal Canadiens 2009-10 schedule, announced yesterday, won’t go on sale for a few more weeks.
The Canadiens website indicates that 3 and 10-game packs will go on sale sometime in August.
Single game tickets usually go on sale in the first couple weeks of September.
Ticket stubs from the ‘75 New Years Eve game and Lafleur’s 500th goal game
Season tickets for 2009-10 are sold out (always are) but the team does offer a waiting list to get on.
Some tickets are being offered by season ticket holders through outlets such as Stub Hub already as those people know they will have their tickets in September.
Meanwhile pre-season tickets for the Canadiens game in Ottawa on September 19 will go on sale August 22 at 10am through capitaltickets.ca
Season ticket stub from the ‘07-08 Playoffs that was never used and one from Game Four of the ‘76 Finals where the Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup
The Canadiens also have downloadable schedules available through their website.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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