Do You Know the History of the Montreal Canadiens?

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Do You Know the History of the Montreal Canadiens?
Image: Gazette collection via Wikimedia Commons

About This Quiz

The NHL has over 30 teams and has been around for over 100 years. Amazing things have happened over the last century, and many teams have had historic moments, players and stats. However, no team has a history quite like the Montreal Canadiens. Not only have the Canadiens been around from the very start, they are actually the only team that was around before the NHL was even created. 

In addition to simply the longest continuously operating hockey team on the planet, they have found a lot of success throughout the decades. Many of the best players ever have suited up for the Habs, and they have won more Stanley Cups than any other team. But just how much do you know about the long and celebrated history of the Montreal Canadiens?

Do you know who their all-time leading scorer is? How about the year they first became a team? If you think you're an expert (or just want to learn more about the team), we've got the challenge for you. This quiz will look at everything including breathtaking stats,  legendary players, historic moments and so much more. So without any further ado, get ready to crash the net and take on our quiz all about the history of the Montreal Canadiens.

Who is the all-time leading points scorer for the Montreal Canadiens?
Saku Koivu
Andrei Markov
Guy Lafleur
Larry Robinson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite only playing 961 games for the Habs, no one has scored more points in a Canadiens sweater than Guy Lafleur. In those games, he scored 1246 points, which also makes him one of the highest scorers ever.

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The Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than any other team. How many have they won?
17
60
24
9
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Montreal Canadiens have won a whopping 24 Stanley Cups in their over 100 years in the NHL. That is more than 10 more than the second place team, which is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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In what year was the team founded?
1909
1888
1924
1930
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the NHL didn't officially become a league until 1917, the Canadiens were actually around since 1909. Before the NHL, they were a member of the NHA (the National Hockey Association), which ceased operations in 1918.

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As of the 2018-19 season, who is the captain of the Montreal Canadiens?
Max Domi
Shea Weber
Brendan Gallagher
Paul Byron
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Shea Weber is currently the captain for the Montreal Canadiens. He is also a fairly new member of the team, as he was only traded to the team in the summer of 2016. He has previously served as the captain of the Nashville Predators.

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On which rink do the Montreal Canadiens currently play their home games?
Rogers Centre
The Montreal Forum
Bell Centre
The Molson Canadian Arena
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Since the start of the 1996 NHL season, the Montreal Canadiens have played their home games at the Bell Centre. Before that, their home was the Montreal Forum, which they played in from 1926 to 1996.

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When was the last time the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup?
1993
2003
2011
1980
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The last time the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup is way back in 1993. The team was led by the likes of Patrick Roy and Vincent Damphousse. Interesting enough, 1993 is the last time that a Canadian team won the Cup.

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What team was "Youppi" (the Canadiens mascot) originally a mascot for?
The Toronto Maple Leafs
The Montreal Expos
The Ottawa Senators
The Carolina Hurricanes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right, before they moved down south and became the Washington Nationals, Youppi was the mascot for the Montreal Expos of the MLB. He made the transition to the Canadiens once the team moved.

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Which other Canadian team is the Canadiens' biggest rival?
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Vancouver Canucks
Toronto Maple Leafs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the biggest rivalries in the NHL. The teams first met way back in 1917 and have played many games against one another. Also, from 1938 and 1970, they were the only two Canadian teams in the NHL.

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Who was the last player on the team to win the Hart Memorial Trophy?
Carey Price
Saku Koivu
Guy Lafleur
Scott Gomez
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carey Price is the most recent Canadiens players to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He won it back in 2014-15 and was the first goalie to win the award in over a decade.

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Which player has scored more goals in a Canadiens sweater than anyone else?
Maurice Richard
Jean Beliveau
Guy Lafleur
Steve Shutt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many great players have suited up for the Canadiens, but none have scored more goals wearing a Canadiens jersey than Maurice "Rocket" Richard. He scored 544 goals in his near-1000 games with the team.

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This Finnish player served as captain of the team for 10 years. Who is he?
Saku Koivu
Sheldon Souray
Brian Gionta
Alex Galchenyuk
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Saku Koivu spent 14 years with the team, serving as captain for 10 of those years. He was the first European player to be captain for the team and is tied for the longest tenure as a Canadiens captain.

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How many retired numbers do the Canadiens have?
12
29
7
15
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Because of their long and storied history, it shouldn't be surprising that the Montreal Canadiens have retired 15 different numbers to honor 18 players. This is more than any other team in league history.

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No team has won more regular season games than the Montreal Canadiens. As of 2018-19, how many have they won?
3,418
2,619
2,999
2,356
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It is no surprise that the Canadiens have won more NHL games than any other team with how long they've been around. As of the end of the 2018-2019 season, they have won 3,418 games.

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Which Canadiens defenseman won the James Norris Trophy 7 times for being the best defenseman in the league?
Andrei Markov
Doug Harvey
Shea Weber
P.K Subban
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many great defenders have played for the Montreal Canadiens, but arguably none have been better than Doug Harvey. He won seven total James Norris trophies, including six straight for the Canadiens.

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How many different times did the Canadiens win 4 (or more) Stanley Cups in a row?
None
Once
Twice
Three times
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While winning a single Stanley Cup is difficult, the Canadiens won four straight cups on two separate occasions. The won five straight from 1956 to 1960 and another four straight from 1976 to 1979.

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Of all the players who suited up for the Canadiens, who had the longest tenure with the team as a player?
Henri Richard
Saku Koivu
Jean Beliveau
Andrei Markov
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The player with the longest tenure for the Canadiens is Henri Richard. While he is not as well-known as his brother, Richard played a total of 1256 games with the team, over his 20 years with the club.

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Which Canadiens goalie was the first to regularly wear a goalie mask?
George Hainsworth
Georges Vezina
Jacques Plante
Bill Durnan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While he wasn't the first ever goalie to wear a mask during a hockey game, Jacques Plante was the very first to wear it regularly. Of course, many goalies soon began to follow suit and it would be crazy to imagine goalies playing without a helmet today.

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This Canadiens goalie famously proclaimed "This is my last game in Montreal" before being traded. Who is he?
Jacques Plante
Georges Vezina
Carey Price
Patrick Roy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Patrick Roy was a star goalie for the Canadiens for a long time before they suffered a terrible break up. After his coaches kept him in a game where he allowed nine goals, he claimed he would never play for the team again. On bad nights, it is common for teams to take out their star goalies, and Roy believed the team kept him in to spite him and embarrass him.

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What was the "Richard Riot"?
A bench brawl
The Richard brothers fought each other
A riot that occurred after Richard was suspended
When the Richard brothers fought two members of the Maple Leafs at once
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Back in the 1954-55 NHL season, Richard struck a ref during a game, which is a big problem. He was suspended for the remainder of the season, which led Canadiens fans to riot, causing $100,000 in property damage.

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In the 1993 Playoffs, the Canadiens won a number of overtime games in a row. How many was it?
10
4
5
9
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Overtime is without a doubt one of the most exciting times during an NHL game. While anyone can win during an overtime period, don't tell that to the Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 playoffs. They won 10 straight overtime games in one playoffs, which is unheard of.

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This former Canadien has won more Stanley Cups than any other player ever. Who is he?
Jacques Plante
Jean Beliveau
Ken Dryden
Henri Richard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Another record that Henri Richard has over his goal-scoring brother is the number of Stanley Cups he's won as a player. While winning one Stanley Cup is a huge milestone, Richard won it an astonishing 11 times as a player.

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Who has the most penalty minutes in team history?
Doug Harvey
Chris Nilan
Maurice Richard
Tom Johnson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chris Nilan was a grinder and a fighter through and through. He had over 2248 penalty minutes in only 523 games, to go along with 175 points. His nickname was "Knuckles" as he liked to drop the gloves and fight.

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When did Maurice Richard become the first 50-goal scorer in NHL history?
The 1920-21 season
The 1944-45 season
The 1976-77 season
The 1951-52 season
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While there have been nearly 100 different people to score 50, it all began back in 1944-45 when Maurice "Rocket" Richard did it for the first time. Not only that, but he did it in 50 games.

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During the 1993 playoffs, a Canadiens player became the only defenseman to score a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final. What is his name?
Sheldon Souray
Serge Savard
Eric Desjardins
Chris Chelios
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

1993 was full of record-breaking moments for the Canadiens. One of the coolest came in Game 2 of the Finals. Eric Desjardins became the first and only defenseman to score a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Finals game.

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Which recent year featured an improbably playoff run where the Canadiens made it to the Conference Finals as the eighth seed?
2010
2008
2014
2017
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Back in 2010, the Montreal Canadiens hobbled into the playoffs as the 8 seed in the East. Most people thought they would be bounced in round one, but they actually managed to make it within a few games of making the Stanley Cup Final.

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Who is current head coach of the Montreal Canadiens?
Pat Burns
Scotty Bowman
Michael Therrien
Claude Julien
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ever since coming to the team in 2017, Claude Julien has been the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. This is actually his second stint coaching the team, as he coached them from 2003-2006 as well.

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When did the Canadiens most recently have the number one overall draft pick?
2001
2016
2004
1980
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Montreal Canadiens have not had a first overall pick since way back in 1980. They used this pick to select Doug Wickenheiser, who played his junior hockey for the Regina Pats in the WHL.

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Which Canadiens goalie holds the NHL record for most shutouts in a season?
George Hainsworth
Carey Price
Georges Vezina
Jacques Plante
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Back in 1928, George Hainsworth set the NHL record for shutouts in a season with 22. Not only does this record still stand, but Hainsworth only had 22 wins that season, which means every one of his wins was a shutout.

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How many games in a row did Doug Jarvis play for the Habs?
1098
333
560
750
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Doug Jarvis has played the most consecutive games for the Montreal Canadiens, with 560. Not only that, but he actually played 964 straight, which is a record. He never missed a regular season game during his entire career.

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Who wears number 11 for the current Montreal Canadiens team?
Brenan Gallagher
Tomas Tatar
Jordan Weal
Max Domi
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The number 11 jersey is currently worn by Brendan Gallagher. He has been on the team since 2012 and is currently an alternate captain for the team. He has scored over 30 goals in the last two seasons.

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What season was the first that the Canadiens hoisted the Stanley Cup?
1915-16
1922-23
1938-39
1940-41
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite the NHL not beginning until 1917-18, the Canadiens actually won the Stanley Cup before it was only given to NHL teams. Their first of 24 Stanley Cups came way back in 1915-16.

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Which Canadiens player scored the most points in a season?
Frank Mahovlich
Steve Shutt
Henri Richard
Guy Lafleur
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The season points leader for the Montreal Canadiens is Guy Lafleur. He scored 136 points in a season back in 1976-77. The next season, he scored 60 goals which is tied for the most goals scored in a Canadiens season.

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What is the record for the most amount of wins in a regular season for the Habs?
53
60
59
57
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Canadiens have had many great regular seasons in their history, but none better than their 1976-77 season. The team got 60 wins, to go along with only 8 regulation losses. They would go on to win the Stanley Cup.

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In addition to English, what other language do the Canadiens operate in?
Spanish
French
Italian
German
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While many people in Canada speak English, French is incredibly common in Montreal and the rest of Quebec. As a result, the Canadiens operate in both English and French. In fact, many of the coaches of the team must know French to be accepted by the fans.

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Which Canadiens player won the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2001-02?
Jose Theodore
Richard Zednik
Brian Savage
Joe Juneau
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite only winning 6 more games than he lost, Jose Theodore won the Hart and the Vezina in 2001-02. It was a relatively low scoring season, so no positional player ran away with the award, that left Theodore to win it with his good GAA.

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You Got:
/35
Gazette collection via Wikimedia Commons