MONTREAL, QC — Being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens has been a rollercoaster ride of late. From the highs of appearing in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final to the lows of watching the club finish at the bottom of the standings, it has been a tumultuous time to be a Habs fan. Hope once again springs eternal as the Canadiens walked away from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft with the top prize, selecting Juraj Slafkovsky as the overall first selection.
The year was 1993 when the Canadiens last won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the Final. Who were the individuals who secured Montreal’s 24th Cup and what are they doing today?
Jacques Demers
Demers was the head coach that led the Canadiens team to their last Stanley Cup win. It was Demers’ only championship after earning the Jack Adams Award in 1987 and then again in 1988 while coaching the Detroit Red Wings.
Demers was a player’s coach and was fond of crediting his player’s for the special win. “The strength of that Canadiens team was that we had many players of great character,” said Demers, remembering the title in 2013. “Of course, we had Patrick Roy, the best goalie in the League, and Guy Carbonneau, an exceptional captain. But we also had fine leaders like Mike Keane and Kirk Muller.”
After leaving the Canadiens, Demers coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons eventually moving from behind the bench to become a hockey analyst for RDS. It was at that time Demers stunned the hockey world by revealing that he was functionally illiterate.
The Honourable Jacques Demers also served as a Canadian Senator, nominated to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Demers served in the Senate seat until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on August 25, 2019.
Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy gave the Canadiens his best when they needed it most. He was named the Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP in 1993.
“Actually, I didn’t play very well during the regular season and even the first two games in Quebec I wasn’t very good (losing each),” Roy said. “Jacques (Demers) stood by me, came in and told me, ‘I’m going to live and die with you,’ and that really put a lot of confidence in me. It took some pressure off at the same time in the way that I knew I had to perform.”
“I had to come up with some big games because the team was playing so well. The guys were sharp, they were playing good hockey. All they needed was a goaltender to make some good saves for them.”
After winning two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986 and 1993, Roy went on to win two more championships with the Colorado Avalanche. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.
He is currently the head coach and the general manager of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Roy has made no secret about his desire to return to a coaching or management position in the NHL.
Denis Savard
Dennis Savard is a hockey legend who played in the NHL between 1980 and 1997 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017, he was also included in the 100 Greatest NHL Players in History.
The Canadiens passed on Denis Savard in the 1980 NHL Amateur Draft instead taking Doug Wickenheiser with the first overall pick. But in June 1990, Canadiens general manager Serge Savard acquired Denis Savard in exchange for Chris Chelios and a second round pick (Michael Pomichter.)
Savard missed most of the postseason with a hairline fracture of his ankle. He still contributed to the Cup win serving as an unofficial assistant coach behind the Canadiens bench for the Final.
After finishing his playing career in 1997, Savard officially began his coaching with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2007, Savard served as an interim head coach of the team, after they parted ways with their head coach at the time, Trent Yawney.
Now Savard is serving as an ambassador for the Blackhawks’ organization and has received three Stanley Cup rings from seasons 2009-10, 2012-13, and 2014-15.
Kirk Muller
Muller is another Canadiens legend who played a 19-season NHL career and won his one and only Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1993. Muller was a leader and the top centre on this team, scoring the Cup-clinching goal in game five of the final against the Kings.
The following season, Muller was named the 20th captain in Montreal Canadiens history. He would go on to play with the Islanders, Maple Leafs, Panthers and Stars.
After retiring, Muller began his NHL coaching career at the Canadiens as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2011. After stops behind the bench in Carolina and St. Louis, he returned to the Canadiens as Associate Coach from 2016 to 2021.
Since June 2021, Muller has been an associate coach for the Calgary Flames alongside head coach Darryl Sutter.
Conclusion
It’s anyone’s guess when the Canadiens will next compete for a Cup. If you want to try your betting skills in predicting what comes next, you can take a quick look at this article on sports betting to get your free wagers in!
