Guy Carbonneau

Guy Carbonneau (car-buh-NOH) is a Canadian former NHL player, coach, and executive who spent 19 seasons on the ice from 1980 to 2000. He suited up for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars. Most recently, he served as president of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Drafted in the third round by Montreal in 1979, Carbonneau became a regular in the lineup by the 1982–83 season.

Playing career

He quickly built a reputation as a reliable defensive forward, scoring 20 goals in five different seasons and winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times for his defensive play. He was named captain of the Canadiens in 1989 and led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1993—the franchise’s most recent championship. After being traded to St. Louis in 1994, he played one season there before moving to the Dallas Stars in a trade on October 2, 1996. He spent his final five seasons with the Stars, winning another Stanley Cup in 1999.

Over his career, he recorded more than 200 goals and 600 points in 1,300 games, lifting the Cup three times as a player. After retiring, Carbonneau worked as an assistant coach for Montreal and Dallas from 2000 to 2006. He was promoted to head coach of the Canadiens in 2006 and held the job until he was fired in 2009.

He later worked as a television analyst and as a coach and co-owner of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, resigning in 2011. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. Carbonneau began his hockey career with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the QMJHL, where a standout 182-point season led to his selection 44th overall by Montreal in the 1979 NHL draft. His strong defensive play helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1985–86, and he earned the Selke Trophy in 1987–88, 1988–89, and 1991–92.

Named captain in 1989–90, he led Montreal to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings. After losing Game 1, he reportedly went to head coach Jacques Demers and said, “Give me [Wayne] Gretzky.” Gretzky had four points in the opener, but with Carbonneau shadowing him for the next four games, he managed only three combined points as Montreal won in five games. Known for his durability, Carbonneau’s knees began to trouble him. Days after the Canadiens were eliminated in the 1994 playoffs, he was playing golf with teammates when he noticed a photographer from Journal de Montréal hiding in a tree.