As the NHL’s most storied franchise, the Montreal Canadiens have no shortage of players in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
And while most of the organization’s icons have been rightfully honoured as inductees, several deserving players have yet to receive their recognition.
With that said, let’s have a look at five Canadiens players who may have been overlooked by the Hall.
Saku Koivu
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Arguably the most important Habs player of the 2000s, Saku Koivu became the team’s first European captain in 1999, holding on to the honour for the next decade.
His leadership was inspiring to say the least.
Diagnosed with cancer in September of 2001, Koivu was expected to be out for the season but made a remarkable comeback in time for the last few games. With the foundation he created, he would go on to raise funds for a PET/CT scan machine at the Montreal General Hospital.
As for heroics on the ice, there are plenty. Koivu, a King Clancy Award winner and Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy winner, netted over 800 Points in his NHL career.
The Finnish player also saw success with his home country’s national team as a four-time Olympic Medalist.
Claude Provost
As a player, Claude Provost lifted the Stanley Cup a whopping nine times with the Habs. The Montreal native spent all 15 seasons of his NHL career with the Canadiens and is also one of only five players to surpass the 1,000-game mark with the club.
While he never possessed the goal-scoring gifts that some of his legendary teammates did, the often-underrated Provost held his own as a tough, hard-hitting defensive forward.
Ralph Backstrom
NHL.com
As a versatile forward who spent the bulk of his NHL career with the Canadiens, Ralph Backstrom played a pivotal role in the team’s success during the 1960s despite being overshadowed by his star teammates.
An integral member of six Stanley Cup-winning teams, the longtime assistant captain consistently displayed a strong two-way game. He retired from the NHL in the early 1970s with over 600 points and 1,032 games under his belt.
Alex Kovalev
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Alex Kovalev remains one of the most exciting players the Canadiens have had over the last 20 years.
As the first Russian/Soviet player to be drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft (15th overall), Kovalev won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in his rookie year. After finding success with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal acquired his talents during the 2003-2004 season.
The Russian winger’s soft hands and offensive powers were on full display during the 2007-2008 season, when he recorded 84 points with the Habs. And, while he was only in Montreal for a brief five-year stint, they were some of his most productive seasons.
With an NHL career that spanned 20 years and saw him netting an impressive 1,029 points, Kovalev deserves to be considered for the Hall.
Vincent Damphousse
Vincent Damphousse is remembered as a clutch performer and offensive dynamo around the league. And his six-year stint with the Habs was nothing short of impressive, scoring more than 90 points in two respective seasons.
One of Damphousse’s defining moments came during the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he played a pivotal role in the Canadiens’ surprising championship run. The former captain led the team in scoring with 23 points in 20 games.
He retired with an incredible 1,205 points over 1,378 NHL games, which puts him in the 50th spot in the NHL’s all-time leaderboard.
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