Yvan Cournoyer

Yvan Cournoyer
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Left
Height Weight	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) 172 lb (78 kg)
Teams	Montreal Canadiens
Nationality	Canadian
Born	November 22,1943, Drummondville, QUE, CAN
Pro Career	1963 – 1979
Hall of Fame, 1982

Yvan Serge Cournoyer (born November 22, 1943) is a retired Canadian right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979.

Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. He was nicknamed "The Roadrunner" due to his small size and blazing speed, which he credited to longer blades on his skates. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

Professional Career

Cournoyer's hockey career began in 1961 with the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). By the time he was eighteen years old, his legs had become so muscular that he required specially tailored pants. He led the OHA in goals scored in 1963-64 with 63.

Cournoyer made his professional debut with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1963-64 NHL season. In that season he scored 4 goals in 5 NHL games, including two in a game when Bobby Rousseau scored five.

He earned a full-time spot with the club in 1964-65 NHL season after just seven games with the American Hockey League's Quebec Aces.

Cournoyer was initially regarded by Canadiens head coach Toe Blake as a defensive liability and undeserving of a regular shift, though he was still frequently used on the powerplay. That changed in the 1967-68 NHL season when he scored 28 goals and 32 assists. After Blake's departure following the 1968 Stanley Cup Championship, incoming coach Claude Ruel granted Cournoyer more ice time. Cournoyer went on to have his first forty-goal season and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team.

Cournoyer scored a career high 47 goals in the 1971–72 season. In 1973, he had his best postseason ever, scoring 15 goals and tallying 10 assists in 17 games, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy following the Canadiens' defeat of the Chicago Black Hawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Cournoyer (#12) hugs Henderson after the Summit Series-winning goal.

Cournoyer was named captain of the Canadiens in 1975 following the retirement of Henri Richard, pushing him to play harder in his new leadership role. Cournoyer would become only one of the Habs' two captains to win Stnaley Cups throughout his entire (2+ year) tenure as captain, the other one being "Rocket" Richard. The speedy Cournoyer's ability to stay true to his form in his older age was a favorite topic of discussion of the Montreal fans and hockey media, however, and he did slow down due to a disc in his back that was pressing on a nerve and causing him great pain. Cournoyer eventually had to have surgery on his back and missed the entire 1977 postseason.

Cournoyer returned for the 1978 season and played in 68 games, scoring 24 goals and collecting 29 assists to match his previous season's total of 53 points, though it was evident his back still bothered him. He managed to perform in the playoffs again, however, with seven goals and four assists in fifteen games en route to Montreal's third consecutive Cup. However, he was forced to retire in 1978 after playing in fifteen games. When he retired, he only trailed Lafleur, Maurice Richard, and Jean Beliveau on the Canadiens' all-time scoring list. Cournoyer won a total of 10 Stanley Cups as player, second only to Henri Richard. His name was engraved on the cup in 1965-66-68-69-71-73-76-77-78-79.

Cournoyer played for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, scoring three goals (including one in the final game), and is part of the famous picture wherein Paul Henderson jumps into his arms after scoring the game (and series) winner.

Cournoyer was an assistant coach to the Canadiens during the 1996–97 season. He currently serves as an official ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens.

Career Statistics

				Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1961–62	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		32	15	16	31	0		—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		36	37	27	64	0		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		53	63	48	111	0		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		5	4	0	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Quebec Aces	AHL		7	2	1	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		55	7	10	10	12		3	1	4	0	0
1965–66	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		65	18	11	29	8		10	2	3	5	2
1966–67	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	25	15	40	14		10	2	3	5	6
1967–68	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		64	28	32	60	23		13	6	8	14	4
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		76	43	44	87	31		14	4	7	11	5
1969–70	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		72	27	36	63	23		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		65	37	36	73	21		20	10	12	22	6
1971–72	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		73	47	36	83	15		6	2	1	3	2
1972–73	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		67	40	39	79	18		17	15	10	25	2
1973–74	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		67	40	33	73	18		6	5	2	7	2
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		76	29	45	74	32		11	5	6	11	4
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		71	32	36	68	20		13	3	6	9	4
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		60	25	28	53	8		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		68	24	29	53	12		15	7	4	11	10
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		15	2	5	7	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				968	428	435	863	255		147	64	63	127	74

Misspelling

Cournoyer's name was often mispronounced or misspelt in the English-language media. But none was worse than his first appearance in a newspaper.

In an October 4, 1961, article in the Montreal Gazette about the upcoming Montreal Junior Canadiens' season, the then 17-year-old was named as Yvan Cornway of Lachine. He was described as a miniature Pocket Rocket (Henri Richard).

Gallery

His first NHL goal - Nov. 28, 1963

External Links

• Yvan Cournoyer's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Preceded by Henri Richard	Montreal Canadiens Captains 1975 – 79	Succeeded by Serge Savard
Preceded by Bobby Orr	Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy 1973	Succeeded by Bernie Parent