Montreal Canadiens are a professional hockey team that plays in the National Hockey League (NHL) . The Canadiens compete in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Canadiens are one of the oldest and most successful teams in the history of professional hockey in North America. The team originated in 1909 as a member of the National Hockey Association. While officially known as the Canadiens, the team has sometimes been called les habitants, or Habs, a French term once used to describe the early French-speaking settlers in what is now the province of Quebec.
Montreal won the first of its record 24 Stanley Cups in 1916. The next year, the team became a founding member of the National Hockey League. The Canadiens dominated the NHL in every decade until the early 1990’s. During the 1920’s, the team was led by such Hall of Fame stars as center Howie Morenz, left winger Aurel Joliat, defensemen Sprague Cleghorn and Sylvio Mantha, and goalie Georges Vezina.
Montreal won the Stanley Cup in 1944 and 1946, led by right winger Maurice “The Rocket” Richard , one of the greatest players in NHL history. His teammates included such Hall of Fame stars as left winger Toe Blake; center Elmer Lach; and defensemen Butch Bouchard and Ken Reardon.
The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup 10 times during the 1950’s and 1960’s and reached the finals 5 more times. The team won a record five straight cups from 1956 through 1960. Among the stars of those teams were Richard; centers Henri Richard, Maurice’s brother, and Jean Beliveau; right wingers Claude Provost and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion; left winger Dickie Moore; defensemen Doug Harvey and Jacques Laperriere; and goalie Jacques Plante.
More NHL greats played for Montreal in the 1970’s, such as right wingers Yvan Cournoyer and Guy Lafleur, left wingers Bob Gainey and Steve Shutt, center Jacques Lemaire, goalie Ken Dryden, and defensemen Guy Lapointe, Larry Robinson, and Serge Savard. The Canadiens won their last two Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993, led by goalie Patrick Roy and defenseman Rod Langway. The Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup final in 2021, but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning . Recent stars have included defenseman Andrei Markov and goalie Carey Price.
