Laurentide
Registered User
In the unlikely event that a player could have a career like that without winning a Cup then perhaps there would be a conversation to be had. But over the first 109 years of their existence, this has not been an issue for the Habs. Their best players always made the HHOF and managed to win at least one Cup.I wasn't saying that.
Okay let me be clear.
Imagine the Habs draft Hughes next year and he puts up 80-100 per season but the Habs otherwise are terrible and despite him being one of the elite players of his generation the team around him never wins. He wins two Harts and three Art Ross trophies but no ring.
No number retirement because of a team accomplishment? It's silly.
The issue as it relates to guys like Markov and Koivu is moot as far as I'm concerned. Neither one of them will likely make the HHOF and they didn't win any hardware to speak of.
By your definition, we may as well retire Theodore's #60 because he won the Hart and the Vezina.