Most Playoff Goals by Canadiens Rookies

It’s uncommon for rookies to get ample ice time in the playoffs, let alone light the lamp consistently. 

The stats back up that notion, as Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki were the last rookies, in 2020-21 and 2019-20, respectively, to score four goals. They are tied for ninth on the Habs’ all-time list.

But which rookies scored the most during a Canadiens’ playoff run?

Canadiens Rookie With Most Playoff Goals

8. Jack LeClair (5 Goals, 1954-55)

Jack LeClair played only three NHL seasons and two playoffs, making his rookie goal-scoring exploits more memorable. 

He scored five goals in 12 games during the 1955 playoffs, but didn’t register an assist. 

7. Gerry Plamondon (5 Goals, 1948-49)

Gerry Plamondon scored five goals in only seven games during the 1948-49 playoffs. Like LeClair, Plamondon didn’t have a long career and played in just three playoffs, totalling 11 games.

6. Shayne Corson (6 Goals, 1986-87)

Shayne Corson enjoyed a four-game scoring streak in the 1986-87 playoffs, scoring three against the Quebec Nordiques and one in the first game of the conference final against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

He lit the lamp four times in seven games against the Nordiques. 

5. Johnny Gagnon (6 Goals, 1930-31)

Four of Johnny Gagnon’s six goals came in the last three games of the 1931 Stanley Cup Final, providing the scoring punch the Canadiens required to win the championship against Chicago. 

4. Howie Morenz (7 Goals, 1923-24)

While Howie Morenz played in 11 playoffs, he scored 14 goals in his first two postseasons. He lit the lamp seven times in the 1923-24 playoffs, including a hat trick against the Calgary Tigers.  

3. Jacques Lemaire (7 Goals, 1967-68)

Jacques Lemaire scored six goals in his first nine playoff games, leading the Habs to the Stanley Cup. He cooled off in the final, notching one in the four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues. 

2. Odie Cleghorn (9 Goals, 1918-19)

Odie Cleghorn scored five goals in his first two playoff games against the Ottawa Senators, including a hat trick. He finished the 1919 playoffs with nine goals in 10 games. 

1. Claude Lemieux (10 Goals, 1985-86)

Had the BetMGM online sportsbook existed, Claude Lemieux would have been responsible for improving the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup odds. 

He scored 10 goals in 20 games en route to the Habs’ Stanley Cup, the fifth-most for rookies all-time.