Yvan Cournoyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yvan Cournoyer |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1982 | |||
Cournoyer in 2008
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| Born | November 22, 1943 Drummondville, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens | ||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| Playing career | 1963–1979 | ||
Yvan Serge Cournoyer (born November 22, 1943) is a famous Canadian former professional hockey player. He was a speedy right winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 16 seasons. During his amazing career, he helped his team win the Stanley Cup 10 times!
In 1972, Yvan Cournoyer scored a very important goal. It was during the Canada-USSR series, a big hockey tournament. His goal tied the game with only seven minutes left in the final match. This allowed Canada to win the game and the series, thanks to Paul Henderson's dramatic goal just seconds later.
Yvan Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. People called him "The Roadrunner" because he was small and incredibly fast. He believed his speed came from using longer blades on his skates. In 1982, he was honored by being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was also named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' of all time.
Yvan Cournoyer's Hockey Journey
Starting in Junior Hockey
Yvan Cournoyer began his junior ice hockey career in 1961. He played for the Montreal Junior Canadiens in the Ontario Hockey Association. By the time he was 18, his leg muscles were so strong that he needed special pants!
Joining the Montreal Canadiens
Cournoyer made his first appearance in the NHL in 1963. He played for the Montreal Canadiens. He earned a full-time spot with the team in 1964. Before that, he played only seven games with the American Hockey League's Quebec Aces.
Becoming a Star Player
At first, the Canadiens' coach, Toe Blake, thought Cournoyer wasn't good enough at defense. So, he often only played during the power play. But everything changed after Coach Blake left in 1968. The new coach, Claude Ruel, gave Cournoyer more playing time.
Cournoyer then had his first season with 40 goals in 1968. He was also named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team.
Best Seasons and Awards
Cournoyer scored a career-high 47 goals in the 1972 season. In the 1973 Stanley Cup playoffs, he played his best hockey ever. He scored 15 goals and had 10 assists in 17 games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player in the playoffs. This happened after the Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks to win the Stanley Cup.
Leading the Team as Captain
In 1975, Cournoyer became the captain of the Canadiens. He took over after Henri Richard retired. Being captain pushed him to play even harder. Cournoyer became one of only two Canadiens captains to win Stanley Cups during their time as captain. The other was Maurice Richard, Henri's older brother.
Fans and media often talked about how Cournoyer kept his speed even as he got older. However, he did slow down because of a back injury. A disc in his back was pressing on a nerve, causing a lot of pain. Cournoyer had to have surgery on his back. He missed all the 1977 playoffs.
Final Years and Retirement
Cournoyer returned for the 1977 season. He played in 68 games, scoring 24 goals and 29 assists. This matched his previous season's total of 53 points. Even though his back still bothered him, he played well in the playoffs. He scored seven goals and had four assists in 15 games. This helped Montreal win their third Stanley Cup in a row.
However, he had to retire after the 1979 season. He only played 15 games that year. When he retired, he was third on the Canadiens' all-time scoring list. Only Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau had scored more points. Cournoyer won a total of 10 Stanley Cups as a player. This ties him with Beliveau and is second only to Henri Richard's 11 Cups.
Cournoyer's legacy includes many top records for the Canadiens:
- 7th in total games played (968)
- 4th in goals scored (428)
- 7th in assists (435)
- 6th in total points scored (863)
International Play and Coaching
Cournoyer played for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. He is part of a famous picture where Paul Henderson jumps into his arms. This happened after Henderson scored the winning goal for Canada. Cournoyer scored three goals during that series. His goal late in Game 8 tied the score, making Canada's win possible.
After retiring as a player, Cournoyer coached the Montreal Roadrunners in 1994–95. He was also an assistant coach for the Canadiens in 1996. Today, he works as an official ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1960–61 | Lachine Maroons | MMJHL | 42 | 37 | 31 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1961–62 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | OHA | 32 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1962–63 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | OHA | 36 | 37 | 27 | 64 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1963–64 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | OHA | 53 | 63 | 48 | 111 | 30 | 17 | 19 | 8 | 27 | 15 | ||
| 1963–64 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 55 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1964–65 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 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 | 47 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Canada | SS | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |||
See Also
- List of players with 5 or more goals in an NHL game
- List of NHL players who spent their entire career with one franchise
