From the moment he was named general manager of the Canadiens in 1964, Sam Pollock pursued excellence with a single-minded and unwavering focus. He built one of the greatest dynasties the game had ever seen; by the time he retired in 1978, he had established a legacy that would span all of professional sports.

In laying the foundation for nine Stanley Cups over his 14-year tenure as GM, Pollock secured his place as unquestionably the greatest architect in NHL history. Only Red Auerbach with the Boston Celtics can claim to have done as much or attained as great a level of success for a North American franchise as Pollock did with the Canadiens. Alongside Auerbach, Pollock stands as the greatest team builder an organization has ever had.

Thanks to his one-sided trades and incredible knack for discovering young talent, Pollock was forever a few steps ahead of the competition. He drafted the likes of Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt, and Bob Gainey. He traded for the likes of Frank Mahovlich and Ken Dryden. Then, in one of his countless masterstrokes, he hired Scotty Bowman prior to the start of the 1971-72 season. Under Pollock’s tutelage, Bowman would emerge as arguably the finest coach in league history while leading Montreal to five more Stanley Cups, four during the four-year run from 1976 to 1979. The 1976-77 Canadiens, in posting a mark of 60-8-12 and 132 points, set an NHL record that stands to this day and remain widely considered the greatest team of all time. His knowledge of the game and drive to succeed impacted all those in the Canadiens family.

Many future NHL coach and GM owe a debt of gratitude to Pollock for his inspiration and guidance. Pollock took his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category in 1978, the same year he ended his brilliant run with the Canadiens by doing what he so often did - win the Stanley Cup.