Montreal Canadiens legend Elmer Lach died Saturday morning at the age of 97.
The Hall of Fame center died in Montreal, the Canadiens announced. He had been the oldest living NHL player.
Lach, who won the Hart Trophy in 1945 while centering the famous “Punch Line” with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake, helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup three times.
Lach was born Jan. 22, 1918, in Nokomis, Saskatchewan. He played 14 seasons in the NHL, all with Montreal, before retiring after the 1953-54 season. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.
“The National Hockey League deeply mourns the passing of Elmer Lach — center on Montreal’s legendary ‘Punch Line’ with Toe Blake and Maurice Richard, owner of the sole assist on Richard’s 50th goal in 50 games in 1944-45 and someone who, at 97 years of age, was just a few months younger than the League itself,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “The League sends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of this three-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time scoring champion and 1945 Hart Trophy winner.”
Lach joined the Canadiens in 1940, but it wasn’t until the 1943-44 season that coach Dick Irvin put him between Blake, a veteran left winger, and Richard, a 22-year-old right winger. The trio clicked instantly, providing the talent and toughness that helped Montreal win the Stanley Cup in 1944 and again in 1946.
When Lach won the Hart as the NHL’s MVP in 1944-45, he finished with 26 goals and 54 assists for a league-leading 80 points in a 50-game season. He won the scoring title again in 1947-48, one year after he missed much of the season with a fractured skull.
Lach scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 1953, but he retired a year later. He finished his career with 623 points (including 215 goals) in 664 games, all with Montreal. He had 19 goals and 64 points in 76 playoff games.
“Every member of the Canadiens organization is profoundly saddened and touched by the death of Mr. Lach,” Canadiens President Geoff Molson said in a statement. “Elmer Lach was a determined player who enjoyed a great career with the Canadiens and who became an important part of the community in Montreal. On behalf of the Molson family and all members of the organization, I offer my sincere condolences to the members of his family.”