Feb 18, 1967: Rogie Vachon makes his debut with the Habs

If I had to choose one goalie who is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and deserves to be, it would be Rogatien “Rogie” Vachon.

Growing up as a kid, I always saw Vachon as the the Los Angeles Kings All-Star netminder with the blank white mask.

Upon paying more attention to the stats on his hockey cards, rather than flinging them against the school walls at recess, I learned that he got his start with the Montreal Canadiens. I later learned the same of Tony Esposito.

In mid- February of the 1966-67 season, the Canadiens were a .500 team. With Gump Worsley injured, and not overly confident in the recent play of Charlie Hodge, Montreal GM Sam Pollock and coach Toe Blake had a decision to make.

Having seen the prodigy’s stellar play during three Apollos games earlier in the season, Pollock made the call for Vachon..

He made his debut against the Detroit Red Wings on February 19. Detroit  was a sub-.500 team at the time, but they still had the firepower of Gordie Howe, Norm Ullman, Alex Delvecchio and the up and coming Paul Henderson in their lineup.

Vachon stunned the Red Wings, making 40 saves (his first of the night on a Howe breakaway) and earning the First Star in a 3-2 Canadiens victory.

The rookie stayed on with the big club for the rest of the season, and was called on to carry the team through the playoffs. Vachon did just hat and despite a Cup Finals loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was in the NHL to stay.

He and Worlsey would win the Vezina the following season and go on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1968 and 1969.

Vachon then found himself in the number one roll with the departure of Worsley, but it would just for one full seasons and the start of another.

At the end of the 1970-71 season, Vachon found himself on the bench for the last 10 games of the season and through the playoffs. Ken Dryden had arrived.

Vachon cracked the Canadiens lineup, originally wearing the number 29 and later number 30 before settling on number one. He would be ousted from Montreal when a new number 29 arrived to immortalize the number.

With Dryden now the new goaltending hero of the Canadiens, Vachon knew he wouldn’t see much action in the 1971-72 season. He requested a trade after the first game and soon found himself in Los Angeles, where he shone on the west coast.

As Gretzky did for the Kings in the ‘90s, Vachon did likewise for the franchise in the ‘70s adapting to the laid back California lifestyle. Gone was the clean-cut Vachon and enter the long-haired, fu manchu mustached Vachon.

Maybe it was the hair, maybe the moustache, but it was mostly the goaltending that vaulted the Kings from a second-worst team at the end of the 71-72 season to a 105 point Cup contender three seasons later with Vachon coming in runner-up to the Hart Trophy.

In the first Canada Cup in 1976, it was Vachon, not Cheevers, Parent or Dryden who played every game going 6-1 with a 1.39 GAA.

While his Canada Cup success brought him back to tthe national TV spotlight, playing on the west coast meant little TV exposure and highlights were far and few between in the pre-internet/cable-satellite TV eras.

That combined with the Kings offensive meltdowns in the playoffs is a key factor in Vachon not being in the Hall of Fame.

It’s a shame, plain and simple.

Rogie Vachon’s Career Statistics

I’m not the only one who feels this way:

Todd Denault, author of “Jacques Plante: The Man who Changed the Face of Hockey”, a contributor to HabsWorld.net and an avid goalie historian, also offers some valid arguments for Vachon’s induction.

Robert Lefebvre a huge fan of Vachon fan, echoes Denault’s thoughts with some more insight.

Some more support form Kingscast

The Montreal Gazette’s Dave Stubbs is another supporter.

Habs Twelve Days of Trivia Contest: Day 7

It’s day seven of my Twelve Days of Habs Trivia!

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 seven:

Who were the first two Canadiens goalies to share the Vezina Trophy in the same season?

Habs Twelve Days of Trivia Contest: Day 4

It’s day four of my Twelve Days of Habs Trivia!

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 four:

Who was the first recipient of the Vezina Trophy?

November 28, 1925: Georges Vezina plays his last game

It was a typical sight, for fans of the Montreal Canadiens, to see Georges Vézina between the pipes for their team from it’s second season and into the early 1920’s.

After all, the Chicoutimi Cucumber had played in every NHA and NHL regular season game (328), and post-season game (39) since joining the Canadiens fifteen seasons prior.

But in November of 1925, that changed forever.

Vézina had reported to training camp, as usual, but felt ill after an exhibition game against the Victoria Cougars on November 18.

He lost nearly 35 pounds during training camp, and was running a fever of 102. Doctors diagnosed it as a flu virus, and recommended bed rest.

Vézina still made his start for the Canadiens home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 25.

The game began as usual, but during the the first period Vézina, was suffering from chest pains and left the ice at the end of the fist period bleeding from the mouth.

He reportedly collapsed in the Canadiens dressing room but returned to start the second period.

Vézina collapsed again on the Mount Royal Arena ice before the period began and, after a short delay, left the game.

He returned to the dressing room, sat in his corner and took off his pads for the last time.

Alphonse LaCroix, a U.S. Olympic goalie, took to the ice to finish the game and claimed the win for the Canadiens. LaCroix played the next four games for the Canadiens, posting just one other win.

Vézina went home and saw his doctor, J-E Dube, the next day. The Canadiens iron-man was diagnosed with tuberculosis and told that his lungs were in dreadful condition.

Dr. Dube told Vézina that his chances for survival were slim and recommended that he go home to Chicoutimi to rest.

Vézina listened to his doctor’s orders, but first made a final visit to the Forum on December 3.

There, in the dressing room, he saw his equipment laid out in the corner, as it always was, by trainer Eddie Dufour.

Team manager Leo Dandurand noticed tears rolling down the goalie’s cheeks. Dandurand placed a hand on Vézina’s shoulder and asked, “Is there anything I can do for you, Georges?”

“Yes, Leo. I would like to go home now. And I would like to take my Montreal sweater with me, the won I wore in the Stanley Cup finals in ‘24.”

Dandurand tracked down the sweater and Vézina tearfully said good-bye to his teammates for the last time.

The Canadiens manager then made a statement to reporters.

“Georges is gone and I doubt if hockey will ever know his like again. He has been a great credit to professional sport. He was a great athlete and a wonderful gentleman.”

The Canadiens paid Vézina his full salary ($6,000) for the 1925-26 season, despite only playing part of the first game.

Vézina returned to his home in Chicoutimi and died on March 27, 1926 at age 39.

Close to 1,500 people crammed into the cathedral in Chicoutimi for his funeral and over 800 Catholic masses in Montreal and Chicoutimi were devoted to Vézina’s memory.

The Montreal Standard referred to him as the "greatest goaltender of the last two decades" in their obituary.

Later in the year, Dandurand and fellow Canadiens owners Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich donated the Vézina Trophy to the NHL to honor their departed goaltender.

Georges Vézina Facts and Figures

• Inaugural member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, elected in 1945.
• Member of the Canadiens first two Stanley Cup winning teams (1916, 1924) and appeared in three other Cup finals.
• Was the first goalie in the NHL to record a shutout on Feb 18,1918 and was the first goalie credited with a shutout.
• Referred to as the "Chicoutimi Cucumber" for his cool demeanor on the ice.
• He was also known as "L'Habitant silencieux" (the "silent Habitant"), a reference to his reserved personality. He often sat in a corner of the team's dressing room alone, smoking a pipe and reading the newspaper.
• Contrary to urban legend, he never had 22 children. That came from a boastful story relayed to the media from Dandurand.
• Vézina had two children, Jean-Jules born in 1912 and  Marcel Stanley, who was born the night the Canadiens won their first Cup.
• His 328 consecutive games was a record that stood for over 30 years.
• Gained the attention of the Canadiens when he led his amateur club to a shutout victory in an exhibition against the Canadiens.
• Led in GAA seven times in his career and finished twice five times.
• Played wearing a toque (which can be seen on the photo of him on the Vézina Trophy) and made use of his large stick for blocking shots. He also didn’t learn to skate until his late teens and started playing goal in his work boots.
• Was known to play without gloves…ouch!
• Ranked 75th in The Hockey News 100 All-time Greatest Players
• The city of Chicoutimi renamed their hockey arena the Centre Georges-Vézina in 1965

Georges Vézina’s Career Stats

Sources for this article:

Books:

• Jenish, D'Arcy (2008), The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory, Doubleday Canada, ISBN 978-0-385-66324-3
• McFarlane, Brian (2008), True Hockey Stories: The Habs, Prospero Books, ISBN 978-1-55267-714-8

Blogs/WWW:

• HabsEyesOnThePrize.com, “1925-26 All That Could Stop Georges Vezina”
• ourhistory.canadiens.com, Georges Vezina player profile

New Jacques Plante biography: A must read for all hockey fans

Fifty years after he changed the world of hockey, a complete biography of hockey’s most important goalie is set to be released.

Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey, gives a complete look into the life of one of the greatest men to stand between the pipes.

in his first book, author Todd Denault left no stone unturned in his research to give us insight into Plante’s life, from a prodigy teenaged player to the pinnacle of greatness in the NHL and well beyond.

Mr. Denault, a freelance writer and member of SIHR (The Society for International Hockey Research), realized that outside of a book Plante co-authored in 1971, that there was no full-scale biography on the Hall of Famer.

Denault spent countless hours researching books, interviews and newspaper articles devoted to the hockey legend. He also spoke to over forty individuals (a virtual whose who of teammates, coaches and journalists) who played with, or against him, coached or documented his career and game up with a fascinating biography.

Most of Plante’s story is publically known for his time and experiences with the Montreal Canadiens, but Mr. Denault captures his entire life in true essence.

From his first goalie stick, carved out of a branch by his father, to his first retirement from the NHL, his return to play with St. Louis, Toronto, Boston and Edmonton (WHA), and final retirement at age 46, the author covered all aspects.

While Plante’s worldwide claim to fame is donning a mask on a regular basis, after that famed day on November 1, 1959, the reader also learns of the legends other noted contributions that revolutionized the game and how the role of a goaltender has evolved.

Mr. Denault even looks into Plante’s post-playing career where he again changed the game as the first goaltending coach in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers and later returning to Montreal.

The book is a must read for any hockey fan (not just Canadiens fans) and the Mr. Denault is to be commended on bringing it to light.

Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey will be available at all major books retailers (conventional and online), in both French and English, on October 27.

Online ordering info, and more information, can be found on the publisher  McLelland and Stewart’s website.

Other Book and related links:

Official Facebook page

Habs Eyes on the Prize’s interview with the author

SIHR (The Society for International Hockey Research)

Habs World (where Mr. Denault is a frequent contributor)

Hockey Book Reviews - hockey book reviews and interviews.

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.