When he was named head coach of the Canadiens in 1940-41, Dick Irvin Sr. was already an accomplished NHL bench boss. Montreal, however, was where he reached new professional heights.

With 11 years of coaching experience on his résumé from his two seasons with the Blackhawks and nine campaigns with the Maple Leafs, Irvin was hired by Canadiens GM Tommy Gorman and given the mandate to reverse the team’s fortunes.

Inheriting a Habs squad in the midst of a lengthy Stanley Cup drought that saw the team miss the playoffs in two of the previous four seasons, Irvin was determined to return the Canadiens to glory. He did exactly that when, under his tenure, the Habs responded by winning three Stanley Cups, including triumphs in 1944, 1946 and 1953.

Never afraid to make tough decisions, Irvin surprised many when he decided to entrust the Habs’ crease to Gerry McNeil instead of regular starter Jacques Plante during the 1953 Stanley Cup Finals. The move paid off, as McNeil twice blanked the Bruins on his way to securing Cup No. 7 for the Canadiens.

During his time in Montreal, Irvin had the pleasure of welcoming a young Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau to the NHL, while he also played a pivotal role in the early mentoring of such other future Hall of Famers as Emile Bouchard, Doug Harvey, Dickie Moore and Bernard “Boom Boom” Geoffrion.

Irvin’s 15 seasons behind the Canadiens’ bench remain the longest tenure of any coach in franchise history.