Elmer Lach

Lore & Background

Lach was born in Nokomis, Saskatchewan, the youngest of two boys and four girls born to William and Mary-Ann Lach, who arrived in Canada from Eastern Europe in 1910. He began playing junior hockey with the Regina Abbotts in 1935–36, then played for the senior Weyburn Beavers and later the Moose Jaw Millers. In 1937, Lach and Doug Bentley attended the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp but were rejected as too small. The Montreal Canadiens signed Lach as a free agent on October 24, 1940. He became a key member of the Punch line, which dominated the NHL for four seasons. Lach led the league in points in 1944–45 and 1947–48, winning the Hart Trophy in 1945. He won Stanley Cups in 1944, 1946, and 1953, scoring the cup-winning goal in overtime in the 1953 Final. Lach retired as the NHL's all-time leading scorer with 215 goals and 408 assists for 623 points in 664 regular-season games.

In Their Own Story

The arena hums with a low, electric tension as the Montreal Canadiens take the ice against Detroit in the championship series. Elmer Lach skates forward, his eyes locked on the play developing near the blue line. He receives a pass, pivots effortlessly to shed a towering defender, and drives toward the slot. With a deceptive wrist shot that seems too soft but finds the top corner, he scores the goal that silences the crowd and ignites the home fans. As his teammates mob him, Lach raises his stick, the Little Chief leading his warriors once again.

Reader's Guide

Elmer Lach played centre for the Montreal Canadiens from 1940 to 1954. He was known for his passing skills, speed, and competitiveness. His line with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake was called the Punch line. Lach led the NHL in assists multiple times and was named to the First or Second All-Star Team several times. He coached the Montreal Junior Canadiens and Montreal Royals after retiring, then worked for Maislin Transport for 30 years. His jersey number 16 was retired by the Canadiens in 2009.

Did You Know?

• Lach set a still-standing Canadiens record of six assists in one game on February 6, 1943.
• He suffered numerous injuries, including a broken nose seven times and a fractured skull that was initially treated as a slight concussion.
• Lach's health insurance company offered him $17,000 to retire from hockey due to his frequent injuries.
• He married his first wife, Kay Fletcher, in 1941; their only child, Ron, was born in 1945 while Lach was on the road with the Canadiens.