Chili
Time passes when you're not looking
- Jun 10, 2004
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I am going by the bios I`ve read which emphasized his superior speed, skill and as you said determination. That`s why I mentioned Lafleur. Morenz did play centre though and played in an era with smaller rosters so icetime for all was much higher. Believe rosters were around 11 or 12(?) during his career.No he was a two way player who liked going into traffic and liked to hit but a clean player (tho there is footage of him going for someone’s knees). Rules were different. He played the whole game and went end-to-end (and back) 20x a game. He was a very determined player. Relentless and unselfish. The whole team followed him. And he had a hard and accurate shot. Most people said he played like Rocket, but not just blue line in - he was a ferocious skater and backchecker. The old guys say he was better than Rocket. From what I’ve read he might have been the best Hab ever (compared to his own era) and Cyclone Taylor said he was the best player he’d ever seen (he said that in 1937) (Joliat thought he was better than Howe). He also won the fastest skating competition in 1927. He was voted best player of the first half century. He did it all.
A quote from Toe Blake who was a rookie near the end of Morenz career..."He was an inspiration for all us, his skill was truly remarkable. Howie loved hockey and it was his whole life. He used to work and laugh wholeheartedly". (from The Montréal Canadiens : A Hockey Dynasty - Claude Mouton.