Our history - The historical website of the Montreal Canadiens

THE REGULAR SEASON

The Canadiens learn during the summer of 1962 that they will have to do without Marcel Bonin following major back surgery that ends the veteran winger’s playing career.

Several other players end their Canadiens careers during the 1962-63 season, for a variety of reasons.

In addition to Bonin, the Habs lose another player to injury in March. One of the league’s most feared enforcers, Lou Fontinato loses his balance and goes headfirst into the boards while trying to avoid a Vic Hadfield bodycheck. Fontinato’s life is threatened by a broken neck, which necessitates a seven-hour operation and forces him to hang up his skates for good.

Left-winger Dickie Moore plays his 12th and final season with the Canadiens.

For a 10th year in a row, the team’s offense is the class of the league and finishes first overall with 225 goals. No less than six players score at least 20 goals, including left-winger Gilles Tremblay, who records 25. Henri Richard leads the Habs in scoring with 73 points, including 23 goals.

Right-winger Claude Provost gets his 300th career point in January and appears in his 500th regular season game with the Canadiens.

The race for the regular season title is a tight one with just five points separating the league’s top four teams in the standings. Toronto ends a streak of five straight first-place finishes for Montreal, which finishes three points behind the Maple Leafs and one point behind Chicago.

The Habs enjoy their best streak of the season from December 16 to January 6, going undefeated in 10 straight, including five wins and five ties. Toe Blake’s squad sets a new league record with 23 ties.