On Saturday, B/R Open Ice took to X and analyzed the 12-foot jump of American gold medal gymnast Simone Biles.
The page used Canadiens’ forward Cole Caufield as a unit of measurement, indicating that Biles’ vertical clears 2.15 Caufields.
Caufield measures in at roughly five-foot-eight, meaning he’s on the shorter size for an NHL player, but that’s not news to any hockey fan. This article will take a look at four notably short key contributors from the Canadiens’ past and present and their impact on the St Flanelle.
Cole Caufield 5’8
Why don’t we start with Caufield, given that his stature is what galvanized this article’s existence?
The American forward has always put up impressive numbers. From his U13 days to his 100 points in 64 games for the U.S. National U18 Team—72 of which were goals by the way—Caufield has outperformed his peers.
After putting up 58 goals and 82 points in 57 games in the U.S. National Team Development Program, scouting reports came out stating he was a “Hyper-Skilled but undersized winger [that] brings all the offensive tools you can handle.” Caufield was no doubt the best goal scorer in the 2019 draft, and the Canadiens committed to selecting him 15th overall.
Post draft, he played in the NCAA with the University of Wisconsin’s Badgers putting up 36 points in as many games as a freshman and 52 points in 31 games as a sophomore. After his 52-point campaign in 2020-21, he got the call from the big leagues to join the Canadiens for their playoff run. Caufield turned heads in the Spring run, accumulating 12 points in 20 games. His game 6 goal against the Vegas Golden Knights still sticks out in the minds of the Habs fanbase.
Three years ago, Cole Caufield was a 20 year old rookie, who had just finished his college hockey career, playing in the NHL conference finals. The Habs were one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals.
Big game. Big moment. Elite sniper.pic.twitter.com/eNtAh7YcTi
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 24, 2024
While Caufield has yet to surpass the 30-goal plateau in his short NHL career, he put up his best point total last year with 65 in 82 games. The attacker has also cemented himself as a first line winger along with captain Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Next up is the former Canadiens captain Brian Gionta. The American entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2008, posing alongside Zdeno Chara as the then shortest and tallest active players in the NHL.
When the Canadiens signed him as a free agent in 2009, he amassed 46 points in 61 games. He then led the charge in the Eastern Conference final run, totalling 15 points in 19 playoff games. His performance and leadership garnered him the 28th captaincy in Habs history, having been given the title ahead of the 2010-11 campaign.
Gionta wrapped up his career after the 2017-18 season as a member of the Boston Bruins roster. Injuries were a concern for him over his tenure in professional hockey, especially with the countless poundings he endured in front of the opposing team’s net. Nonetheless, it didn’t interfere with him establishing a solid NHL presence. He appeared in 1026 games with 595 points to his name.
Mats Naslund 5’6
The shortest of the players mentioned is Mats Naslund. He is also the only non North American-born athlete, having grown up in Timra, Sweden.
Naslund was inspirational to the smaller aspiring hockey players who grew up watching the super swede perform in the 1980s. If you don’t believe me, just ask head coach Martin St Louis who’s move he stole to score on Patrick Roy.
What was most impressive about Naslund was his ability to produce at a high rate. He is the only player mentioned in this article to surpass the 100 point mark, and is also the last Canadiens player to do it. He reached the echelon during the 1985-86 season, wherein he 43 goals and tallied 67 assists in 80 games.
The Swedish forward finished his NHL in 1995 playing for Boston of all teams. His career statistics saw him gather 251 goals, 383 assists. To be exact, 634 points in 651 games. During his tenure, he collected a Stanley Cup in 1985-86 and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1987-88.
Henri Richard 5’7
Closing out the list is the most successful Montreal Canadiens player in the history of the franchise. The younger Richard brother who was dubbed the Pocket Rocket, Henri Richard.
It’s not easy being compared to your older sibling when you’re both in the same job field, especially when it’s someone who has an award named after them. It can be argued, however, that the centre exceeded his brother, Maurice, racking up 80 more points in his career. Of course, he did so in 280 more games.
Where H. Richard has his brother beat—as well as any other player who has suited up for an NHL team—is in Stanley Cups, having won 11 as both a player and coach.
He led the league in assists twice, had ten all-star selections and a Bill Masterson Trophy. He was also widely known as a considerate person who made time for fans.
If I may leave a personal anecdote, when I was a kid I sent Richard a letter asking for his autograph. I wrote a letter detailing my love of hockey and added a hockey card from the centennial season that showcased a picture of him from his playing days. What I forgot to provide was a return envelope…
This was no problem, as he took the time to address an envelope to me, but also signed my card and included a signed picture of himself posing with his eleven Stanley Cups. I still have the two autographs and the envelope to this day.
Related
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki enjoying the offseason
What a big scoring season would mean for Caufield
Cole Caufield projected to participate in 4 Nations tournament
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