Yvan Cournoyer

Yvan Serge Cournoyer (born November 22, 1943) is a retired Canadian right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979. 
Cournoyer was born in Drummondville, Quebec. He was nicknamed "The Roadrunner" due to his small size and blazing speed, which he credited to longer blades on his skates. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.
==Professional Career==
Cournoyer's hockey career began in 1961 with the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). By the time he was eighteen years old, his legs had become so muscular that he required specially tailored pants. He led the OHA in goals scored in 1963-64 with 63. 
Cournoyer made his professional debut with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1963-64 NHL season. In that season he scored 4 goals in 5 NHL games, including two in a game when Bobby Rousseau scored five. 
He earned a full-time spot with the club in 1964-65 NHL season after just seven games with the American Hockey League's Quebec Aces.
Cournoyer was initially regarded by Canadiens head coach Toe Blake as a defensive liability and undeserving of a regular shift, though he was still frequently used on the powerplay. That changed in the 1967-68 NHL season when he scored 28 goals and 32 assists. After Blake's departure following the 1968 Stanley Cup Championship, incoming coach Claude Ruel granted Cournoyer more ice time. Cournoyer went on to have his first forty-goal season and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team.
Cournoyer scored a career high 47 goals in the 1971–72 season. In 1973, he had his best postseason ever, scoring 15 goals and tallying 10 assists in 17 games, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy following the Canadiens' defeat of the Chicago Black Hawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Cournoyer was named captain of the Canadiens in 1975 following the retirement of Henri Richard, pushing him to play harder in his new leadership role. Cournoyer would become only one of the Habs' two captains to win Stnaley Cups throughout his entire (2+ year) tenure as captain, the other one being "Rocket" Richard. The speedy Cournoyer's ability to stay true to his form in his older age was a favorite topic of discussion of the Montreal fans and hockey media, however, and he did slow down due to a disc in his back that was pressing on a nerve and causing him great pain. Cournoyer eventually had to have surgery on his back and missed the entire 1977 postseason.
Cournoyer returned for the 1978 season and played in 68 games, scoring 24 goals and collecting 29 assists to match his previous season's total of 53 points, though it was evident his back still bothered him. He managed to perform in the playoffs again, however, with seven goals and four assists in fifteen games en route to Montreal's third consecutive Cup. However, he was forced to retire in 1978 after playing in fifteen games. When he retired, he only trailed Lafleur, Maurice Richard, and Jean Beliveau on the Canadiens' all-time scoring list. Cournoyer won a total of 10 Stanley Cups as player, second only to Henri Richard. His name was engraved on the cup in 1965-66-68-69-71-73-76-77-78-79.
Cournoyer played for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, scoring three goals (including one in the final game), and is part of the famous picture wherein Paul Henderson jumps into his arms after scoring the game (and series) winner.
Cournoyer was an assistant coach to the Canadiens during the 1996–97 season. He currently serves as an official ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens.
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1961–62 	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA 	 	32 	15 	16 	31 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1962–63 	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA 	 	36 	37 	27 	64 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1963–64 	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA 	 	53 	63 	48 	111 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1963–64 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	5 	4 	0 	4 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1964–65 	Quebec Aces 	AHL 	 	7 	2 	1 	3 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1964–65 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	55 	7 	10 	10 	12 	 	3 	1 	4 	0 	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	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	968 	428 	435 	863 	255 	 	147 	64 	63 	127 	74
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Misspelling==
Cournoyer's name was often mispronounced or misspelt in the English-language media. But none was worse than his first appearance in a newspaper.
In an October 4, 1961, article in the Montreal Gazette about the upcoming Montreal Junior Canadiens' season, the then 17-year-old was named as Yvan Cornway of Lachine. He was described as a miniature Pocket Rocket (Henri Richard).
==Gallery==
Cournoyers1stGoalNov2863.jpg|His first NHL goal - Nov. 28, 1963
==External Links==
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Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:Born in 1943
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Montreal Junior Canadiens alumni
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Conn Smythe Trophy winners
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Category:1972 Team Canada players
Category:Retired in 1979
Category:Quebec Aces players
Category:Lachine Maroons alumni
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Montreal Canadiens assistant coaches