Elmer Lach
Inducted:
1966
Player Stats
5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Born:
January 22, 1918
Nokomis, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died:
April 4, 2015
Kirkland, Quebec, Canada
Position:
Centre
College:
NA
Elmer James Lach was the brilliant playmaking engine of the Montreal Canadiens during the 1940s and early 50s. As the center for the legendary "Punch Line"—flanked by Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Toe Blake—Lach was the tactical mastermind who fed the puck to his more famous wingers.
Despite his slight frame, he was famously fearless and remarkably resilient, playing through a career-long litany of gruesome injuries, including a broken jaw, nose, and even a fractured skull. Lach was the first player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy (officially awarded starting in 1948, though he led the league in scoring twice) and captured the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1945.
A three-time Stanley Cup champion, he retired as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, a testament to his vision and longevity in an incredibly physical era. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.
Lach's Awards and Record:
- 3x Stanley Cup Champion (1944, 1946, 1953)
- Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP) (1945)
- Art Ross Trophy (Inaugural winner in 1948)
- Number 16 retired by the Montreal Canadiens
- Named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" (2017)
- NHL's all-time leading point scorer with 623 points, until it was surpassed by Maurice Richard
NHL Records:
- 2x NHL Scoring Leader (1945, 1948)
- 3x NHL First All-Star Team (1945, 1948, 1952)
- 2x NHL Second All-Star Team (1944, 1946)
NHL Teams
Montreal Canadiens (1940-1954)
Number Worn:
16
NHL Stats
Seasons Played:
14 (1940-1954)
Games Played:
664
Goals:
215
Assists:
408
Points:
623
Penalty Minutes:
478
Playoff Games:
76
Goals:
19
Assists:
45
Points:
64
Stanley Cups:
3 (1944, 1946, 1953)