Top 10s This Week

Top 10 Songs:

10. FERAL LOVE, Chelsea Wolfe (2014)
9. HIGGS BOSON BLUES, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2013)
8. SHARP, Red Mass (2014)
7. BIG SHOT, The Pack A.D. (2013)
6. WE EXIST, Arcade Fire (2014)
5. RIGHT TIME, Nikki Lane (2014)
4. INSTANT CRUSH, Daft Punk (feat. Julian Casablancas) (2013)
3. STRAIGHT OUT OF THE GATES, Tech N9ne (feat. Serj Tankian) (2013)
2. SWEATPANTS, Childish Gambino (feat. Problem) (2014)
1. SMOOTH SAILING, Queens Of The Stone Age (2014)

Top 10 Montréal Canadiens Captains:

10. SAKU KOIVU (1999-2009)
9. NEWSY LALONDE (1910-1922*)
8. HECTOR 'TOE' BLAKE (1940-1948)
7. SYLVIO MANTHA (1926-1936*)
6. GUY CARBONNEAU (1989-1994)
5. HENRI RICHARD (1971-1975)
4. MAURICE 'ROCKET' RICHARD (1956-1960)
3. ÉMILE 'BUTCH' BOUCHARD (1948-1956)
2. BOB GAINEY (1981-1989)
1. JEAN BÉLIVEAU (1961-1971)

* not consecutively captain for all those years

Honorable mentions: Serge Savard (1979-1981), Doug Harvey (1960-1961) and Jack Laviolette (1909-1912*).

 In the same way that I didn't let Bob Gainey's term as GM hinder on his tremendous captaincy, I didn't let Toe Blake's stint as perhaps the greatest NHL coach of all time push him through the top-5.

Guy Carbonneau remains perhaps the greatest defensive centerman and face-off specialist the NHL has ever known, and as captain, was the only opponent to ever shut down Wayne Gretzky in a Stanley Cup Final. And while Serge Savard and Doug Harvey stand as two of perhaps the 5 greatest defensemen the NHL has ever known, their short stints as captains didn't define their respective careers.

The Richard brothers were a no-brainer, as was putting Jean Béliveau first, and Butch Bouchard makes his way into the top-3 because he was, after all, the one who made the Rocket who he became, by convincing him of following his conscience and showing him how to behave at the NHL level with the hard head he had.

Saku Koivu could have passed Newsy Lalonde, but having not won Stanley Cups in Montréal is a deterrent, though he was often the only player of his caliber on the team, so he was in no way to blame.

And Sylvio Mantha deserves to be on this list, although he rarely makes these, because he played so long ago; however, as a kid from NDG, I am well-versed in the historic nature of what my neighbourhood represents to hockey history.