The greatest defenceman before Bobby Orr — seven Norris Trophies and the controller of pace for the dynasty Canadiens.
Douglas Norman Harvey was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1924. He spent the prime of his career with the Montreal Canadiens — winning six Stanley Cup championships (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960) and seven Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman (1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962). He won the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1962 while player-coaching the New York Rangers. He revolutionised the defenceman position — before Harvey, defencemen stayed back and defended; Harvey used his skating ability and vision to control game tempo and distribute the puck with a precision and intelligence that transformed how the position was understood. He was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017 and inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973. His personal life was troubled by alcoholism and mental health challenges in his later years — a contrast to his professional mastery that hockey historians consider one of the game's most poignant stories. He is the forefather of the offensive defenceman and one of the most influential players in the tactical evolution of hockey.
Stanley Cup 6x
Career Honours
- Stanley Cup 6x
- Norris Trophy 7x
- Hart Trophy
- Hall of Fame (1973)
- NHL 100 Greatest Players