On Sunday, the NHL revealed the Montreal Canadiens’ quarter-century team, showcasing the best players from 2000 to the present for the legendary franchise.
The first team consists of forwards Saku Koivu, Tomas Plekanec, and Alex Kovalev, defensemen Shea Weber and Andrei Markov, and goaltender Carey Price.
The second team features forwards Nick Suzuki, Brendan Gallagher, and Max Pacioretty, defensemen Sheldon Souray and P.K. Subban, and goaltender Jose Theodore.
The selection was made based on input from media members, retired NHL players, and team executives. Each team includes three forwards, two defensemen, and one goaltender, making a total of 12 players.
This league-wide project started in December, aiming to recognize the best players from each NHL team over the past 25 years.
Carey Price holds the Canadiens’ record for most wins by a goaltender, with 361 wins. He surpassed other legends like Jaques Plante (314), Patrick Roy (289), and Ken Dryden (258).
Saku Koivu, who captained the Canadiens for 10 years, is in the franchise’s top 10 for total points (641), assists (450), and power-play goals (66).
Tomas Plekanec, who played 15 seasons with the Canadiens from 2003 to 2019, ranks seventh on the all-time games played list with 984 games.
The second team includes three current players: Suzuki, Gallagher, and Pacioretty. However, only Suzuki and Gallagher are still on the Canadiens’ roster today.
