Yvan Serge Cournoyer, aka “The Roadrunner,” is a retired professional ice hockey player who was born on November 22, 1943 in Drummondville, QC, Canada. Cournoyer is best known for being a member of the Montreal Canadiens, a team in the National Hockey League, during his time as an active professional player. Cournoyer played professionally from 1963 to 1979, and was dubbed as “The Roadrunner” mainly due to his blazing speed despite his rather small size.
Cournoyer started playing ice hockey when he was still quite young, playing with the Montreal Junior Canadiens, a team in the Ontario Hockey Association. By the time Cournoyer reached 18 years of age, he became muscular and soon caught the interest of many first teams. Cournoyer stayed with Montreal Canadiens and soon made their debut with the team as a professional player.
Cournoyer was also a player in the American Hockey League, playing for the Quebec Aces where he became a full time player after just seven games for the team. Initially, however, Cournoyer was deemed as a defensive liability, Cournoyer proved worthy of the full time shift and soon enjoyed his first ever forty-goal season during the 1968 to 1969 season.
Born | 22 Nov 1943 |
Nationality | Canada |
Nickname | The Roadrunner |
Team History | |
Montreal Canadiens | 1962 - 1979 |
Currently, Cournoyer serves as the official ambassador to the Montreal Canadiens. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982, and has won ten Stanley Cups during his active time playing the sport. Before becoming the Canadiens’ ambassador, Cournoyer also coached the Montreal Roadrunners for a single season, and was also an assistant coach of the Canadiens from 1996 to 1997.