In 1993, four National Hockey League players entered the
Hockey Hall of Fame. Three of the four starred on either the Montreal Canadiens
or New York Islanders teams that dominated the Stanley Cup from 1976 to 1983.
The other was a mainstay with the New York Rangers in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Guy Lapointe
Guy Lapointe played 894 regular season games in the NHL
between 1968-69 to 1983-84. He played the bulk of his NHL career with the
Montreal Canadiens while also having stints with St. Louis Blues and Boston
Bruins nearer the end of his career. The defenseman was a part of six Stanley
Cup championship teams with Montreal during the 1970’s.
Despite putting up great numbers from the blue line, Guy was
denied the Norris Trophy during his playing days, not able to steal the
limelight from the likes of Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin and Montreal teammate Larry
Robinson. Lapointe played seven of the eight games for Canada at the 1972
Summit Series with the Soviet Union.
Edgar Laprade
Edgar
Laprade played his entire NHL career with the New York Rangers between
1945-46 and 1954-55, appearing in exactly 500 regular season games. With 34
points in 49 games during his rookie season, Laprade was selected as the
recipient of the Calder Trophy
as the NHL’s top first year player. His 34 assists In 1947-48, Edgard placed third
in the National hockey League with 34 assists.
Edgar was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy in 1949-50, amassing
just one minor penalty over 60 games. In fact, Laprade sat just 42 minutes in
the penalty box over his 500 games.
Steve Shutt
At the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, the Montreal Canadiens
selected Steve Shutt fourth overall. Fresh off the roster of the Toronto
Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League, Shutt jumped right into the Montreal
lineup without missing a beat. Steve appeared in 930 regular season NHL games
between 1972-73 and 1984-85. All his time was spent with the Habs with
exception of 59 games with the Los Angeles Kings in his final season after he
was traded.
Steve was a member of four consecutive Stanley Cup championship
teams in Montreal between 1975-76 and 1978-79. The pinnacle of his NHL career
was 1976-77 when he scored 60 goals and amassed 105 points. He led the league
in goals that season and placed third for points. Three more times during his
NHL career, Shutt placed in the top ten for goals in the NHL but he never again
surpassed the 50 goal plateau.
Billy Smith
Billy Smith was the backbone of the New York Islanders
Stanley Cup dynasty of the early 1980’s when the team won four straight between
1979-80 and 1982-83. Although drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth
round of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, Smith played just five games with the club
before becoming a member of the Islanders.
Billy Smith was a goalie in the National Hockey League from
1971-72 to 1988-89. He earned the Vezina Trophy in 1981-82 and the Conn Smythe
Trophy for his performance during the 1982-83 Stanley Cup playoff run.
