I guess what it comes down to for me is personal opinion. Rocket is the clear cut number one, I think everyone is aware of my thoughts on him.
Morenz is number two for me because he was the first superstar. Until the Rocket he was the player that everyone was compared to. He helped the game in a way that often gets overlooked because it was so long ago. He is still mentioned whenever the question "who is the fastest skater of all time?" is asked. To me, he was probably the only one who came close to having Rocket's desire to win that ever pulled on a habs jersey.
I consider Harvey to be the glue of the habs in the 1950's. The 50's habs were the greatest teams of all time as far as I'm concerned and Harvey was (all around) the best player. If he doesn't get injured in '59, Harvey's string of Norris trophies is longer than Orr's. Not saying he was better than Orr, but as the concensus second best defenceman ever, I think he trumps Beliveau.
That's not to say that there was ever a better captain than Beliveau, just that Rocket, Morenz, and Harvey to me are the three best to ever play for the habs.
raleh,
That is an excellent response. I disagree, but it's still an excellent, historically-aware response.
I agree that the Rocket is the best player in Habs history. While there have been better players in the regular season, the Rocket is likely the best clutch player in NHL history. And possibly the finest goal scorer who ever lived. I know that Big Phil, for one, would take Beliveau first, but most have Rocket at No. 1. When you look at Richard's phenomenal popularity and influence on life in Quebec as a whole, there's no question he's the greatest Hab ever.
Harvey also has to be there, too. I'll rate Eddie Shore as the No. 2 defenceman ever (and boy, there's a fantastic debate), but Harvey has to be there. Imagine what he could have done if he played at a time when defencemen were encouraged to jump into the rush.
But I'd rate Beliveau ahead of Morenz. They both had immense popularity in Montreal. Morenz is generally heralded as hockey's first superstar, and his death generated a province-wide mourning period in La Belle Province. One of the great skaters in the game's history, and his dedication to the game and desire are almost unmatched.
But Beliveau was likely the greatest combination of size and skill that the game had ever seen until Mario Lemieux came along. Beliveau played a physical game on the ice, while bringing unmatched grace, class and leadership off the ice. Was once considered for Canada's governor general post. And there's those 10 Cup rings. How good was he? Scored over a point-per-game in both the regular season and the playoffs at age 39.