MONTREAL — Andre Pronovost probably wondered what the big deal was about winning the Stanley Cup.
Pronovost, who died Tuesday at age 90, was a member of four Montreal Canadiens championship teams during his first four seasons in the NHL, from 1956-57 through 1959-60.
He was the sixth-oldest Canadiens alumnus at the time of his death.
A native of Shawinigan, Quebec, born July 8, 1936, Pronovost played 557 regular-season NHL games. He skated at forward for the Canadiens from 1956-57 through part of the 1960-61 season. He was then traded to the Boston Bruins, where he played through part of 1962-63, before moving to the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he played through 1963-64. His NHL career ended with nine games for the expansion Minnesota North Stars in 1967-68.
Pronovost recorded 198 points (94 goals, 104 assists) in the regular season and appeared in 70 playoff games, totaling 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists).
The grandfather of New Jersey Devils forward Anthony Mantha, Pronovost had an NHL career-high 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 69 games with Montreal in 1959-60. His best playoff performance came in 1963-64, when he had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 14 games with Detroit.
Pronovost’s timing was impeccable. He graduated to the Canadiens from Montreal’s junior team in 1956. A smooth-skating left wing, he joined the NHL club one season into its unprecedented run of five consecutive Stanley Cup championships, the greatest dynasty in NHL history.