Toe Blake

With Hector "Toe" Blake and Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Elmer Lach formed the Punch Line, which was the leading scoring line for the Montreal Canadiens from the mid-1940s to early 1950s and one of the most famous in the history of the NHL. Lach centered the line until he retired after the 1953-54 season. He was born in 1918 in Nokomis, Saskatchewan, Canada, playing his amateur career in his native province. He signed with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1940-41 season. Over the course of his fourteen-year career, Lach scored 215 regular season goals and 408 regular season assists, and nineteen playoff goals. In 1945, he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. In 1948, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. With the Canadiens, he won the Stanley Cup three times, including 1944 and 1946 with the Punch Line. Lach was a tough hardworking playmaker who played through a number of major injuries, including a skull fracture and cheekbone fracture in a game in 1947, throughout his career. He only played five complete seasons in his 14 years in the NHL. Lach was also known for his passing and checking abilities. For his accomplishments on the ice, Lach was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. After retiring as a player, he coached for several years before founding his own business.