Former Canadiens, Blackhawks defenceman Dollard St. Laurent dead at 85

MONTREAL – Dollard St. Laurent, who won five Stanley Cups as a defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, has died, the Canadiens announced Monday. He was 85.

The announcement came only two days after the passing of 97-year-old former Canadiens star Elmer Lach.

St. Laurent played eight seasons for Montreal in the 1950s, winning Stanley Cups in 1953, 1956, 1957 and 1958 before he was traded to the Blackhawks on June 3, 1958 for cash and future considerations. He won a Cup in Chicago in 1961.

The Verdun, Que., native had 29 goals and 133 assists in 652 games over 12 NHL campaigns. He had another two goals and 22 assists in 92 playoff games.

The stay-at-home defenceman made his NHL debut with three games in 1951-52 before becoming a regular on a powerhouse Montreal team. But the five-foot-11 180-pound rearguard was dealt away before they completed their run of five straight Cups from 1956 to 1960.

He was steadying influence at the back for a rising young Blackhawks squad that ended a 23-year Cup drought.

After the 1961-62 season, St. Laurent was sent to the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League, where he broke a leg and then retired at the end of the season.

He was the sixth former Canadien to pass away in recent months, after defenceman Carol Vadnais in August, winger Gilles Tremblay in November, legendary captain Jean Beliveau in December, former coach Claude Ruel in February and Lach.