WITH TOE BLAKE LEADING THE WAY, “THE PUNCH LINE” MADE SPORTS HISTORY AS THE TOP OFFENSIVE UNIT DURING HOCKEY’S GLORY DAYS.

For one generation of fans, Hector “Toe” Blake was the man who stood behind the bench, fedora pushed up on his head, guiding the Canadiens to eight Stanley Cups in 13 years. To the parents of that generation, he was “The Old Lamplighter”, picking up the nickname for the regularity with which he lit the red lights behind nets throughout the NHL.

Born in Victoria Mines, a small mining town in Ontario, and bilingual as a child, Blake broke in with the Montreal Maroons in 1934-35. Though the rookie had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, he didn’t play an active role in the championship.

Joining the Canadiens the following season, he became a reliable contributor, his competitive spirit and sheer tenacity making him one of the NHL’s most feared forwards. Blake was quick and skilled but also willing to play the game as gritty as he had to in order to emerge victorious.

In 1938-39, Toe Blake came into his own. His 47 points led the NHL and he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Hard-nosed and dedicated, Blake was an important cog in the Canadiens’ teams of the late 1930s and early 1940s. When Dick Irvin assumed coaching duties, Blake was named captain, a role he held for the rest of his playing days.

Blake led the team in scoring for two consecutive seasons and in 1942-43, he was assigned a pair of youthful linemates - Elmer Lach, a tough center, and Maurice Richard, an intense but often injured left wing who would move to play the right side.

The trio came to be known as the “The Punch Line” and with Blake leading by example, skated into hockey history as the best offensive unit of hockey’s glory years. Blake, who practiced as hard as he played, scored at least 20 goals in each of the full seasons he spent with Lach and Richard.

The line propelled the team to Stanley Cup Championships in 1944 and again in 1946; “The Old Lamplighter” potted both winning goals. Blake was a surprise Lady Byng Trophy winner after the 1945-46 season, one where he recorded a mere two penalty minutes.

Blake’s NHL playing career came to an end on January 10, 1948, when a broken leg forced the 36-year old team captain to join the coaching ranks. After honing his craft in the minors, Blake replaced Dick Irvin behind the bench at the start of the 1955-56 season.

With Blake holding the reins, the Canadiens racked up five consecutive Stanley Cup Championships to begin his NHL coaching career. They made the playoffs every season he ran the team, finishing atop the regular season standings nine times and never finishing the year worse than third.

Inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, Blake retired two years later after winning his eighth Stanley Cup title as coach. All told, his name has been engraved on the silver rings 11 times.

Hector “Toe” Blake passed away on May 17, 1995.