Canada

Former Canadiens player Marcel Bonin dead at 93

Bonin won the Stanley Cup four times — first in 1955 with the Detroit Red Wings and then three years in a row with Montreal from 1958 to 1960.

Bonin won 3 straight Stanley Cups with Montreal Canadiens, 1 with Detroit

Former Montreal Canadiens' hockey player Marcel Bonin, right, and former photographer for the Canadiens', Denis Brodeur, chat during the launch of the book "Les Légendes des Canadiens" in Montreal Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009.
Marcel Bonin, right, chats with former Montreal Canadiens photographer Denis Brodeur during the launch of the book "Les Légendes des Canadiens" in 2009. Bonin died Sunday at the age of 93. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

Former Montreal Canadiens forward Marcel Bonin has died at the age of 93.

"My father played his last period this morning, serenely," wrote his daugter Manon in a social media post Sunday.

The Joliette, Que., native — also known as the "bear of Joliette" — won his first Stanley Cup in 1955 while playing with the Detroit Red Wings.

After a short stint with the Boston Bruins and then the Quebec Aces, he engraved his name on the cup three more times with the Canadiens from 1958 to 1960.

"He will forever be remembered as one of the great winners of his generation," said the Canadiens in a statement Sunday afternoon, extending their condolences.

Bonin scored 97 goals over 454 career games. He retired prematurely in 1962 after undergoing surgery on his spine.

In April 2024, the City of Joliette awarded him with a medal for his contributions on and off the ice. He had worked as a police officer in the region and was a drug interventionist in schools.

Black and white photo of Marcel Bonin in his Canadiens uniform.
Bonin captured four Stanley Cup titles over his career, including three consecutive wins with the Montreal Canadiens. (Montreal Canadiens)

With files from Radio-Canada