NHL on TSN: Who is the Greatest Hab of All-Time?

The Montreal Canadiens will celebrate their centenary on Dec. 4 and TSN.ca has paid tribute to Les Glorieux with The Century Club - a year-long archive of stories, recaps and columns by TSN personalities, special features and online video from Canada's Sports Leader.

So many great players have worn le bleu, blanc et rouge over the last 100 years and with hockey's most storied and decorated franchise counting down the final days towards the centennial, the NHL on TSN and TSN.ca want you to select The Greatest Montreal Canadien of All-Time.

After much debate and consideration, we have selected seven legendary players for this honour based on a combination of contributions to the franchise - Stanley Cup victories, individual honours and First and Second All-Star Team selections. Look through each player's synopsis, stats, video tributes and career honours and vote for the greatest player to ever don the famed Canadiens sweater.

The results will be announced during the NHL on TSN broadcast on Tuesday, Dec. 1 when the Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jean Beliveau

The greatest captain in the history of the game, Beliveau set the gold standard on how a leader should be on and off the ice. One of the best offensive players to ever hit the ice, 'Le Gros Bill' won 10 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens and holds 14 team records - including 11 in the postseason. He made the First All-Star Team six times and the Second Team on four other occasions. He also captured two Hart Trophies and was the first recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1965.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens

Doug Harvey

While Bobby Orr was the greatest offensive defenceman of all-time, Harvey set the bar as the game's first. His puckhandling abilities from the blueline powered Montreal's offence throughout the 1950s and helped lead the Canadiens to five straight championships from 1956 to 1960. Also known for his speedy rushes and near-perfect defensive play, he was selected to the All-Star Team for 10 straight seasons and won the Norris Trophy six times in seven years with the club from 1955 to 1961.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens

Guy Lafleur

The former Quebec Rempart arrived with plenty of hype in 1971, drafted first overall by the Canadiens the day after Jean Beliveau retired. Le Demon Blond was one of the most exciting players to ever lace up skates, recording six straight 50-plus goal seasons and 100-plus point seasons and helped guide the Canadiens to four straight Stanley Cups. He was a six-time First Team All-Star and won the scoring title three times, the Hart Trophy twice and the Conn Smythe Trophy during Montreal's Cup run in 1977. He has the highest career point and assist totals in team history, as well as the second-highest goal total behind Maurice Richard.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens

Howie Morenz

The Canadiens' first true superstar, Morenz was the most decorated player of his era. He won the Hart Trophy as league MVP three times, captured two scoring championships and led the Habs to three Stanley Cups in 12 seasons. He scored 253 goals in his first 11 seasons with the Canadiens and enjoyed his best season in 1927-28, winning the scoring championship with 33 goals and 51 points. In his final season with the Canadiens, tragedy struck when he suffered a broken leg during a home game against Chicago. The injury proved to be fatal as he later died from its complications. The Montreal Forum became a shrine as a memorial was held with thousands of fans paying their respects.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens

Jacques Plante

Plante helped guide the Canadiens to five straight Stanley Cups from 1956 to 1960 and was known for breaking in the mask along with several other innovations. He was the first goaltender to skate in behind the net to stop the puck for his defencemen, the first to raise his arm on an icing call to let his team know what was happening on the ice and also perfected a stand-up style of goaltending that cut down the angles and staying square to the shooter. His play between the pipes earned him an NHL record-seven Vezina Trophies and the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1962.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens

Maurice Richard

He was the working man's hero - the best player in hockey from the blueline in and the most prolific goal-scorer of his era. The Rocket was the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games and scored 544 goals in the regular season with 82 in the playoffs (including a record six overtime winners that was later surpassed by Joe Sakic). Richard played on eight Stanley Cup-winning teams in Montreal and was captain of the great dynasty team that won five straight from 1956 to 1960. He was elected eight times to the First All-Star Team, six times to the Second Team and played in every NHL All-Star Game from 1947 to 1959. While he didn't have the God-given talent of Guy Lafleur or the gentlemanly nature of Jean Beliveau, The Rocket's passion and competitive spirit endeared him to Montreal fans.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens

Patrick Roy

You can call him confident, cocky and even a bit quirky. But he is quite simply one of the greatest goaltenders the game has ever seen. Legends like Richard, Beliveau and Lafleur carried the torch proudly, but Roy set a new standard for the Canadiens and the league - having a goaltender as the marquee player on an NHL team. The Hall of Famer not only led Montreal to Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993 (almost singlehandedly), but inspired a generation of Quebec-born goaltenders towards NHL stardom.

Statistics and Honours with Canadiens