Jacques Laperriere often gets overlooked among the many legends that played for the Montreal Canadiens, but he ranks among the best defensemen in their history.

Playing during what was viewed as a transition period following the Canadiens' run of five straight Stanley Cup championships from 1955-56 through 1959-60, Laperriere won the Stanley Cup six times in his 12 NHL seasons before sustaining a career-ending knee injury against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 19, 1974.

A 1987 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Laperriere had 282 points (40 goals, 242 assists) in 692 regular-season games. The native of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, reached 30 points four times, including 30 (two goals, 28 assists) in 65 games in 1963-64 when he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, and a NHL career-high 37 points (six goals, 31 assists) in 73 games in 1969-70.

But Laperriere was known more for his quiet, steady play in the defensive zone than his offensive production. Playing alongside his usual defense partner, J.C. Tremblay, the lanky 6-foot-2, 180-pound Laperriere relied upon positioning, his shot-blocking skill and a long reach that made him adept at poke-checking the puck away from opponents.

In addition to winning the Calder Trophy in 1963-64, Laperierre was selected to play in the 1964 NHL All-Star Game and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. After finishing second in the voting for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman in 1964-65, Laperriere became the third Canadiens player to win the Norris in 1965-66, joining Doug Harvey and Tom Johnson.

Laperriere had 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) in 57 games that season and was selected to the NHL First All-Star Team for the second straight season. But a leg injury prevented him from playing in the 1966 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Montreal won the Cup for the second straight season.

Laperriere returned to help the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1967, when they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, before winning the Cup in 1968 and 1969. Although Laperriere had his best season offensively and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1969-70, Montreal failed to qualify for the playoffs for the only time in his career.

Montreal rebounded to win the Stanley Cup in 1971, when Laperriere had a career-high 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 20 playoff games. Laperriere won the Cup for the final time in 1973 after leading the NHL with a plus-77 rating during the regular season.