Greatest Montreal Canadiens Skater of All-Time

[ColinO]

Serge Boisvert was freaking fast.

 

[Scintillating10]

Doing an experiment.Who is the greatest Montreal Canadiens skater of all-time?

I restricted the debate to M.Richard, Béliveau, Harvey, Lafleur and Morenz.No goalies (which is why I used the word ''skater'' and not ''player'').

Poll is private.

Skater....either Roadrunner or Murray Wilson fastest I have seen.

 

[roy munson]

I thought of Larry Robinson while reading the thread title. At the time he definitely was my favorite Hab to watch skating. A few, long strides but he could be pretty quick.
After watching the video, man those guys looked clumsy compared to today's players...



edit: If we're talking 'speed', I think Béliveau, Cournoyer, Courtnall and Byron cover over 6 decades of Habs' history.

 

[Toene]

Cournoyer. But best skater as in best "player who's not a goalie" ever? I have to go with Lafleur here on pure talent and accolades. HM to Béliveau, Richard and Harvey.

Edit : got it wrong on both accounts. You said greatest not best. Greatest is Richard ainec. L'idole d'un peuple.

 

[Runner77]

What's going faster than the elusive fastest skater, is this thread.

It's going nowhere, fast.

Please put an end to its miserable existence. Thanks.

 

[JJ68]

Yeah Naslund was good. I always thought Richard Zednik was a pretty fast and strong skater too with a distinct style about him.

 

[Dick Duff]

Maurice Richard

 

[57special]

Cournoyer, Henri Richard, Lafleur, Courtnall, Byron,Frank Mahovlich, Mats Naslund .... Murray Wilson was a great skater, too !

Don't forget Ralph Backstrom

 

[sandviper]

I always thought Vladimir Malakhov was one of the best and smoothest skater I saw in Montreal. Just effortless.

Was thinking the same way when I opened this thread.

So disappointed.

Malakov, when he felt like playing, was a phenomenal skater. It was like he wasn’t even touching the ice when he skates.

 

[ryan callahan]

Best in terms of compared to the competition definitely Lafleur or Beliveau. Best of all time for the Habs considering players get better training, better systems and better techniques across time is probably Subban or Kovalev.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Like most on here, I'm too young to have ever watched him play, but there is no other answer than Jean Beliveau. His legacy looms like the full moon over this franchise. The embodiment of everything the Montreal Canadiens should strive to as hockey players.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I'll defer to those who've seen the others... I'm going to vote Lafleur.

 

[Runner77]

Was thinking the same way when I opened this thread.

So disappointed.

Malakov, when he felt like playing, was a phenomenal skater. It was like he wasn’t even touching the ice when he skates.

He moved effortlessly and with a lot of fluidity, esp. for his size.

However, I don't think I've ever seen a smoother skater for the Habs than Perry Turnbull. He made bigger loops than Scherbak, circled in and circled out and had the uncanny ability to cruise with so much grace and elegance and never once hit anyone or even battle for a puck. He appeared to played hockey for the pleasure of coasting around.

 

[S Bah]

Cournoyer, Henri Richard, Lafleur, Courtnall, Byron,Frank Mahovlich, Mats Naslund .... Murray Wilson was a great skater, too !

That's pretty much right on the money.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

What is this poll? Did anyone here ever seen one of these players play (except Lafleur)? I couldn't know.

 

[JianYang]

As a kid, I thought Russ courtnall was blazing fast. Petrov seemed to have great wheels too.

But I think Paul Byron is faster than all of them. The game is faster than it's ever been, and byron still manages to stand out.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I saw Béliveau in his late years and I saw Lafleur a lot. I did vote for Richard because he was a pioneer. First to score 50 g in 50 games in nhl history.

 

[1909]

I saw Béliveau in his late years and I saw Lafleur a lot. I did vote for Richard because he was a pioneer. First to score 50 g in 50 games in nhl history.

Skating wise, Lafleur was the fastest skater of the three. Rocket Richard had the drive from blueline in. Béliveau stickhandling and vision were his best assets.

 

[voyageur]

I think it's Cournoyer from the pre-lockout era, honourable mention to Oleg Petrov.

Modern era, Jonathan Drouin.

 

[1909]

The Petrov-Koivu-Bure line was quite fast.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Best in terms of compared to the competition definitely Lafleur or Beliveau. Best of all time for the Habs considering players get better training, better systems and better techniques across time is probably Subban or Kovalev.

Subban is a below average straight ahead skater and Kovalev was the same during his tenure in Montreal. Both players are elite at controlling and protecting the puck while they were skating but they do not belong in this conversation. Serge Savard was a far superior skater than Subban and likely the greatest skater of any Hab dman. Even Mete and Reilly would embarrass Subban in a head to head challenge.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Dwight King.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Yvan "Roadrunner" Cournoyer not on the list?

How about "le chevreuil", Russ Courtnall?

LMAO le Chevreuil

 

[Want My Dach x 77]

Jonathan Drouin

 

[groovejuice]

Don't forget Ralph Backstrom

I always liked Backstrom. Even more so because he helped Sam Pollock land Guy Lafleur!