Yvan Cournoyer’s name still carries weight wherever the Stanley Cup lands in Quebec, and the Canadiens great brought that history to Saint-Boniface as the community prepared for its Hockeyville moment. The 82-year-old Hall of Fame winger joined local celebrations with the Cup ahead of Montreal’s preseason meeting with the Ottawa Senators at Colisee Videotron in Trois-Rivieres on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
For Saint-Boniface, a community nearly two hours from Montreal, the event is more than an NHL exhibition date. Its Hockeyville win brings $250,000 for improvements at Arena de Saint-Boniface, plus $10,000 worth of new equipment through NHLPA Goals & Dreams and the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund. The work behind the bid stretched beyond the town itself, with supporters across the region helping bring Hockeyville back to Quebec for the first time since Roberval claimed the honor in 2008.
“It’s always nice,” Cournoyer said while appearing locally with hockey’s most recognizable trophy. “It’s a great trophy to have, but you have to work quite a bit to be able to win that prize, so I’m very glad for them.”
Cournoyer has remained close to the Canadiens since ending a career spent entirely in Montreal. He arrived with the club at 19 and retired at 35, then stayed with the organization as an ambassador. That role has taken him into communities well beyond the Bell Centre, including Renous, New Brunswick, when it hosted Hockeyville in 2019. There, fans lined up outside Tom Donovan Arena for a rare chance to stand beside the Cup and one of the central figures from Montreal’s championship years.
Known as the Roadrunner during his playing days, Cournoyer won 10 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens. He scored 428 goals and totaled 863 points, figures that place him fourth and sixth in franchise history, respectively. His Cup haul bridged eras: five titles with Montreal’s older core, then five more with the club’s next wave, including four consecutive championships from 1976 through 1979. He also delivered Canada’s winning goal in a 4-1 victory over Russia in Game 2 of the 1972 Summit Series.
“For me, it’s special because that’s the only team I played for,” Cournoyer said. “Winning 10 Stanley Cups, I don’t think too many people have a chance to win one, first of all. I’m very, very proud to be able to win five with the old guys and five more with the younger guys. My timing was very good with that and the ’72 series.”
A familiar voice around a rising Canadiens club
Cournoyer’s place in Canadian hockey was recognized again on April 17, when he was appointed to the Order of Canada for his accomplishments, community dedication and service to the country. He remains a regular presence at Canadiens functions, offering a link between the club’s dynastic past and a current group entering camp with bigger expectations.
Montreal opened training camp Wednesday after going 48-24-10 for 106 points, finishing third in the Atlantic Division and reaching the Eastern Conference Final. The Canadiens were eliminated in five games by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, a step forward from their five-game first-round loss to the Washington Capitals a year earlier.
Cournoyer sees those playoff exits as part of the education a young contender needs. “We know what to do now because we lost twice,” he said. “I think it’s going to be fun.”
He is not ready to draw conclusions in September, however. Cournoyer said the more meaningful comparison will come after the Canadiens have played about 10 games and the club’s progress from last season can be measured properly.
Montreal opens its regular season in Toronto against the Maple Leafs on Sept. 29. Before that, the Canadiens and Senators will skate for a smaller rink and a much larger community purpose. Cournoyer said both teams understand the assignment: help a town improve its arena and give local players a stronger place to play the game.
“I think the players are aware,” Cournoyer said, “and it’s for a very good cause.”
