Toe Blake
Eleven-time Stanley Cup champion as player and coach.
Joseph Hector 'Toe' Blake (August 21, 1912 – May 17, 1995) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL from 1935 to 1948 with the Montreal Maroons and Montreal Canadiens, and later coached the Canadiens from 1955 to 1968. Blake is notable for winning the Stanley Cup eleven times in total—three as a player and eight as a coach—and for being the first coach to win 500 games with one team.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Left wing
- Shoots
- Left
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 10
- Weight Lb
- 162
- Played For
- Montreal Maroons / Montreal Canadiens
- Coached For
- Montreal Canadiens
- League
- NHL
- Birth Date
- 1912-08-21
- Birth Place
- Victoria Mines, Ontario, Canada
- Death Date
- 1995-05-17
- Death Place
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Blake was one of 13 children born to Wilmer and Arzélie Blake in what is now the ghost town of Victoria Mines, and was raised in Coniston, Ontario. His nickname 'Toe' came from his younger sister's difficulty pronouncing his name, rendering it as 'Hec-toe'. He was also known as 'The Old Lamplighter' for his skill at putting the puck in the net. Blake played junior and senior hockey in the Sudbury area and was part of the 1932 Memorial Cup champions, the Sudbury Cub Wolves. He signed with the Montreal Maroons on February 22, 1935, and made his NHL debut two days later. Though he played only eight games with the Maroons and was held scoreless, his name was added to the Stanley Cup when the Maroons won in 1935. Blake then played for the Canadiens until a double fracture of his ankle ended his NHL career on January 11, 1948, after a collision with Bill Juzda of the New York Rangers. While with the Canadiens, he formed the 'Punch Line' with Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard, and scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in overtime of game four of the 1944 Final. In 1946, he became the first Canadien to win the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, a feat later matched only by Mats Näslund and Cole Caufield.
Reader's Guide
After retiring as a player, Blake turned to coaching and spent eight years with the Canadiens' minor-league affiliates before being named head coach of the Canadiens on June 8, 1955, replacing Dick Irvin. He was fluently bilingual in English and French, and management felt his history as Maurice Richard's linemate would help control the star's explosive temper. Blake coached the Canadiens for thirteen seasons, winning the Stanley Cup eight times—the most titles for any coach in team history and the most with one team, second only to Scotty Bowman's nine total Cups. His 500 regular-season wins remain the most in Canadiens history. He won championships in each of his first five seasons as head coach, an NHL record that still stands. Blake initially refused goaltender Jacques Plante's request to wear a mask, but relented after a shot broke Plante's nose on November 1, 1959. The 1960 playoffs saw Montreal win all eight games to become the fourth team to win the Cup without a playoff loss, a feat unmatched since. Blake retired after the Canadiens clinched the Cup in game four of the 1968 Finals, ending 33 consecutive years at ice level with the organization. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 in the player category, and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
Career & Statistical Legacy
Few figures in professional sport have amassed a statistical résumé comparable to William Scott Bowman. Across his coaching career he accumulated 1,244 regular-season victories and 223 playoff wins, both records that still stand as the highest in NHL history. His fourteen total Stanley Cup banners—nine earned as a head coach and five earned in front-office capacities—rank second all-time among players, coaches, and executives combined. As a head coach he lifted the trophy with the Montreal Canadiens five times, the Pittsburgh Penguins once, and the Detroit Red Wings three times, making him the sole coach in league history to win the Cup with three different franchises. His squads reached the Stanley Cup Finals a record thirteen times and the semifinals a record sixteen times. Bowman collected the Jack Adams Award in 1977 and 1996, and his 62-win campaign of 1995–96 held the single-season record for forty-six years before finally being surpassed in 2023. His 1976–77 season, in which his team absorbed just eight losses, remains a modern-era benchmark for defensive consistency.
The Montreal Dynasty
Montreal's golden era of the 1970s was built on a partnership between head coach Bowman and general manager Sam Pollock. Bowman was brought in on June 10, 1971, the very day Al MacNeil resigned, with Pollock citing the new coach's fluency in both English and French as a key factor in the hiring decision. After a first-round playoff exit in 1972, Bowman's Canadiens captured the Stanley Cup in 1973 and then delivered four straight titles from 1976 through 1979. That stretch featured a roster anchored by Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson, and Ken Dryden, and Bowman's squad won at least forty-five games in every one of his eight seasons in Montreal. The dynasty fractured in September 1978 when ownership passed over Bowman for the general manager position, selecting Pollock's protégé Irving Grundman instead. Bowman departed after the 1978–79 season, and the era of dominance ended with his exit. He remains second in Canadiens franchise history for both total wins and winning percentage, trailing only Toe Blake. Many of the players who thrived under that system went on to successful careers in coaching and management.
Pittsburgh and the Bob Johnson Season
Perhaps no chapter of Bowman's career carries more emotional weight than his brief tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had joined the organization in 1990 as director of player personnel and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1991. That same year, head coach Bob Johnson—who had just guided Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup title—was diagnosed with brain cancer. Johnson was forced to step aside and passed away on November 26, 1991. Bowman assumed the head coaching role and led the Penguins to back-to-back championships in a season the organization dedicated to Johnson's memory. The 1992 Cup gave Bowman his sixth title as a head coach and added to his record of nine total championships. For a franchise reeling from the sudden loss of its coach, the back-to-back title represented a season defined by collective remembrance and determination. Bowman's ability to unite a locker room under such grief became a defining example of his leadership, and the 1992 run remains one of the most emotionally resonant achievements in Stanley Cup history.
Life Beyond the Bench
Beyond the bench, Bowman's influence on the NHL extended through decades of front-office work and mentorship. After his coaching stints he served as director of player development for the 1991 Penguins, a consultant for the 2008 Detroit Red Wings, and a senior advisor of hockey operations for the Chicago Blackhawks during their 2010, 2013, and 2015 championship runs. He held that Blackhawks advisory role until stepping down in July 2022. His five additional Stanley Cups in those front-office capacities brought his total to fourteen, a figure ranking second all-time across players, coaches, and executives. Bowman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991 as a builder, and he also spent time as a color commentator on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, typically alongside Don Wittman. His 62-win single-season record, set in 1995–96, endured for forty-six years before being broken in 2023. Widely regarded as the greatest coach in NHL history, Bowman's career spans five franchises and a coaching philosophy that shaped generations of players who went on to coaching and managing roles of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Toe Blake?
Joseph Hector 'Toe' Blake (1912–1995) was a Canadian NHL player and coach whose entire professional life was tied to Montreal hockey. He is best remembered for winning eleven Stanley Cups—three on the ice and eight behind the bench—with the Canadiens.
How many Stanley Cups did Toe Blake win?
Blake collected three championships as a player and eight as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, for a career total of eleven rings. That combined tally remains one of the most dominant individual Cup records in NHL history.
What is Toe Blake's coaching record?
Over thirteen seasons as head coach (1955–1968), Blake led the Canadiens to eight Stanley Cup titles and became the first NHL coach to reach 500 victories with a single franchise.
When did Toe Blake play in the NHL?
He played thirteen seasons from 1935 to 1948, splitting his career between the Montreal Maroons and the Montreal Canadiens. His 1939 campaign earned him the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
Why is Toe Blake important to Montreal Canadiens history?
Blake's eleven Cup wins and his 500-win milestone with one team made him the defining builder of the Canadiens' golden era. His legacy as both a player and a coach remains central to the franchise's identity.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Builders and Executives 1-24
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