As I'm sure most hockey fans are aware this season marks the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens.

In honor of the occasion (and because I'm also a Canadiens fan) here's my listing of the top ten Canadiens of all time.

10. Bernie Geoffrion: Winner of the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 1952, a two time Art Ross winner as the league's leading scorer and winner of the Hart as league MVP in 1961 and played on six Stanley Cup championship teams in the 1950s. "Boom Boom" played much of his best years in the shadow of Rocket Richard and thus never got the full credit he deserved for his great career as a Hab. His innovating use of the slap shot made him the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals.

9. Ken Dryden: 1971 Conn Smythe winner, 1972 Calder winner, and a five-time winner of the Vezina trophy as the league's top goaltender, Dryden backstopped the Canadiens to six Stanley Cups in only 8 seasons, losing only 57 times and posting 46 shutouts in 397 career regular season games, posting  a stunning .790 winning percentage and a career GAA of 2.24. His critics claimed he had it easy playing for the Habs dynasty of the late 1970s, but to a man his teammates say otherwise, praising him for providing the strong goaltending which helped them win four straight championships.

8. Larry Robinson: Two time winner of the Norris trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, the 1978 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP and played on six Stanley Cup championship teams. "Big Bird" was the stalwart of the Canadiens defense corps in the 1970s and 1980s. He could do it all: score, hit, fight and play a strong two-way game.  His plus-minus rating of +120 in 1976-77 is second only to Bobby Orr's single season plus-minus record of +124 and holds the record for most consecutive seasons in the playoffs with 20, 17 of those spent with the Canadiens.

7. Patrick Roy:  A three time winner of the Vezina Trophy, Roy won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP twice by carrying two average Canadiens teams to the Stanley Cup in 1986 and 1993. "Saint Patrick" was also a six time all-star prior to his bitter departure from the team in December 1995. During most of his ten-plus years with the Canadiens Roy was their only superstar, and compiled the bulk of his regular season and playoff victories records as a Hab. His innovative use of the butterfly style of goaltending was widely imitated and is now the standard style of goaltending in the NHL.  

6. Doug Harvey: The first defenseman to win the Norris trophy as league's best defenseman seven consecutive years (only Bobby Orr matched and broke that record), Harvey was the pioneer for the rushing defenseman.  He played on six Stanley Cup winners in Montreal, including the great dynasty of the late 1950s, where tremendous skating and passing ability helped the Canadiens win five consecutive championships, using his skills to control the pace of the game. He was also an outspoken critic of the hockey establishment and with Detroit's Ted Lindsay helped to set the stage for the eventual formation of the NHL Players Association.

5. Howie Morenz: A three time winner of the Hart Trophy and a frequent scoring leader, Morenz was considered pro hockey's first true superstar, called "the Babe Ruth of Hockey"  and "The Stratford Steak" during his heyday in the 1920s. He used his great overall talent, especially his speed, to rack up impressive goal totals (including a 40-goal season in 1929-30) in an era of restricted forward passing. Morenz's tremendous abilities would carry the Canadiens to three Stanley Cup championships before his premature death in 1937.

4. Jacques Plante: Winner of the Vezina Trophy six times with the Canadiens, including five in a row from 1956 to 1960, a member of six Stanley Cup winners and the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1962, Plante was not only a major component in the Canadiens "five in a row" championship dynasty in the late 1950s, he was also a goaltending innovator, particularly in the use of wearing a mask to protect his face from injury. Few goaltenders in NHL history have dominated that position as well as Plante did during his years with the Canadiens.

3. Guy Lafleur: Three time winner of the Art Ross and Pearson trophies, two-time winner of the Hart as league MVP, the 1977 Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP and a member of five Stanley Cup winners, Lafleur was the straw that stirred the drink for the Canadiens in the late 1970s, carrying them to four straight championships. During that time he was the game's undisputed superstar, thrilling crowds with his end-to-end rushes, his blazing shot and dazzling play-making. The image of Lafleur in full flight with his blond hair streaming in the wind earned him the nickname "Le Demon Blonde" in Quebec. Long after his retirement Lafleur still remains among the greatest and most popular players in Canadiens history.

2. Jean Beliveau: Winner of the Hart Trophy twice, the Art Ross as scoring leader in 1956 and the first winner of the Conn Smythe in 1965, Beliveau played on a mind-boggling ten Stanley Cup championship teams during his career, captaining the Habs to five of those championships. "Le Gros Bill" was the forerunner of big, smooth-skating , talented forwards like Mario Lemieux  and was an inspiration to future Hab Guy Lafleur.  Beliveau carried himself with class, dignity and confidence throughout his career, earning him the respect of teammates and opponents alike.

1. Maurice Richard: No player was or is as beloved as Richard. "The Rocket" came to symbolize the Canadiens, playing with ferocious skill, speed and determination which powered the Habs to eight Stanley Cups. He was the greatest goal-scorer of his era and became the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games in a season, a record which stood for 37 years until broken by Wayne Gretzky. It was in the playoffs where Richard shone his brightest, setting league records for regulation goals, game winners and overtime goals which would not be broken for decades, making him one of the great clutch playoff scorers of all time.  Richard remains to the day the true symbol of the franchise.