CANADIENS, 1956-60<\/p>\n
Leadership:<\/strong> Frank Selke, Sr., who previously worked for Smythe in Toronto, favored a line from Lt. Col John McCrae’s World War I poem, “In Flanders Fields” and had it painted on the clubhouse wall: “To you from falling hands, we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high.”<\/p>\n Hall of Famers:<\/strong> Goalie Jacques Plante<\/a>; forwards Maurice Richard<\/a>, Bernie Geoffrion<\/a>, Jean Beliveau<\/a>, Henri Richard<\/a>, Dickie Moore<\/a>, Bert Olmstead<\/a>; defensemen Doug Harvey<\/a>, Tom Johnson<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Gamble:<\/strong> Henri, Maurice’s kid brother, made the team as a rookie out of training camp in 1955. “We planned on sending him back to Juniors,” Selke said, “but we couldn’t. He kept being the best one on the ice.”<\/p>\n The Coach:<\/strong> Hector “Toe” Blake replaced Dick Irvin on June 8, 1955. Tough but also charming, he tamed the fiery Maurice “Rocket” Richard, turning him into a more productive player. “Blake was the one dominant figure on the team that won five straight Stanley Cups,” wrote Montreal Gazette columnist Red Fisher.<\/p>\n Trail to the Cup:<\/strong> Montreal was dominant in the Final, successively defeating Detroit (1956), the Boston Bruins (1957, 1958) and Toronto (1959, 1960) “We had the best team that ever played hockey,” Geoffrion said.<\/p>\n Quote:<\/strong> “Nobody seems able to skate with them or shoot with them.” — New York Daily News columnist Jimmy Powers<\/p>\n MAPLE LEAFS, 1962-64<\/p>\n Leadership:<\/strong> Hard-boiled George “Punch” Imlach doubled as general manager, coach and cheerleader. “Between you and me and the gatepost, he makes it sound like he doesn’t need us players at all,” defenseman Tim Horton<\/a> said.<\/p>\n Hall of Famers:<\/strong> Goalie Johnny Bower<\/a>, Terry Sawchuk<\/a>; forwards George Armstrong<\/a>, Dave Keon<\/a>, Bob Pulford<\/a>, Red Kelly<\/a>, Frank Mahovlich<\/a>, Dick Duff<\/a>, Olmstead; defensemen Allan Stanley<\/a>, Horton.<\/p>\n The Gamble:<\/strong> The Maple Leafs acquired aging, six-time First All-Star defenseman Red Kelly in a trade with the Red Wings on Feb. 10, 1960, and instantly — successfully — converted the 32-year-old to a center. “It was a great move,” Kelly said, “and I loved it. We won Cups.”<\/p>\n Decisive Trade:<\/strong> Toronto traded five players to the New York Rangers for right wing Andy Bathgate<\/a> and center Don McKenney<\/a> on Feb. 22, 1964. “This is the biggest break of my life,” said Bathgate, who scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 7 of the 1964 Final against Detroit.<\/p>\n The Coach:<\/strong> Despite Imlach’s martinet style, he kept the Maple Leafs at the top of their game. “My job was to win hockey games,” he said. “If I had to bruise a few guys to do it, that was just too bad.”<\/p>\n Trail to the Cup:<\/strong> The Maple Leafs defeated the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks in the 1962 Final and eliminated Detroit in the subsequent two championship rounds. “We’re the world’s greatest hockey team and save our best game for the finale,” defenseman Carl Brewer<\/a> said.<\/p>\n Quote:<\/strong> “I’ve never seen a (1964) team more worked up. The best word I can think of is heart.” –Toronto captain George Armstrong<\/a><\/p>\n MONTREAL CANADIENS, 1976-79<\/p>\n Leadership:<\/strong> GM Sam Pollock and coach Scotty Bowman helped rebuild the Canadiens in the mid-1970s. “We had a lot of good, hungry players who hadn’t reached their peak, and they all blossomed at the same time,” Bowman said.<\/p>\n Hall of Famers:<\/strong> Goalie Ken Dryden<\/a>; forwards Guy Lafleur<\/a>, Yvan Cournoyer<\/a>, Jacques Lemaire<\/a>, Bob Gainey<\/a>, Steve Shutt<\/a>; defensemen Jacques Laperriere<\/a>, Guy Lapointe<\/a>, Serge Savard<\/a>, Larry Robinson<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Coach:<\/strong> Though Bowman (1,244) became the winningest coach in NHL history, “you never knew what he was going to do,” Cournoyer said. “He would change his mind like he would change his underwear.”<\/p>\n Trail to the Cup:<\/strong> Montreal swept the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in the 1976 Final and followed that with two successive wins against Boston, the run culminating in 1979 with a five-game victory against the Rangers.<\/p>\n