Habs retired numbers are the jersey banners hanging from the rafters of the Bell Centre in Montreal, honoring the greatest players in Canadiens history. The club has retired 15 numbers representing 18 players, a total unmatched by any other NHL franchise. That volume surprises newcomers: it can feel like half the roster is enshrined.
The real confusion comes from the special cases — numbers retired twice, numbers pulled from circulation without a ceremony, and the difference between "retired" and "honored." This guide breaks down the full list, explains the unusual exceptions, covers the official criteria for a banner, and answers the questions fans ask most.
What Are the habs retired numbers and How Many Exist?
The short answer: 15 numbers have been officially retired, covering 18 individual players. Montreal's first retired number was 7 for Howie Morenz in 1937, and the most recent addition was 33 for Patrick Roy in 2008. When fans first encounter the habs retired numbers, they often struggle to reconcile the banner count with the player count.
The full list is below.
| Number | Player | Year retired |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Plante | 1995 |
| 2 | Doug Harvey | 1985 |
| 3 | Emile Bouchard | 2009 |
| 4 | Jean Beliveau | 1971 |
| 5 | Bernard Geoffrion | 2006 |
| 7 | Howie Morenz | 1937 |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | 1960 |
| 10 | Guy Lafleur | 1985 |
| 12 | Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer | 2005 |
| 16 | Henri Richard and Elmer Lach | 1979 |
| 18 | Serge Savard | 1979 |
| 19 | Larry Robinson | 2007 |
| 23 | Bob Gainey | 2008 |
| 29 | Ken Dryden | 2007 |
| 33 | Patrick Roy | 2008 |
Notice that 12 and 16 each honor two players. That explains why 15 banners represent 18 names. The Canadiens also have a separate "honored" category for numbers like 6 (Toe Blake) and 8, which are not retired in the strict sense. Understanding the habs retired numbers means recognizing that not every banner represents a formal retirement.
How to apply this: Bookmark the official Canadiens history page at nhl.com/canadiens so you can verify any banner claim against the primary source rather than fan wikis.
The 1937 Origin: Why habs retired numbers Started So Early
Montreal retired a number before any other NHL team did, and the reason is tragic. Howie Morenz, the "Stratford Streak," broke his leg in a game on January 28, 1937, and died of a coronary embolism days later at age 34. The Canadiens retired his number 7 almost immediately, establishing the tradition.
This early start is what makes the habs retired numbers so historically significant.
That timing matters for understanding the whole list. Retirements in Montreal have historically followed two patterns: honoring a player's death, and celebrating a career at the end of it. Morenz's banner belongs to the first category.
The pace also shifted over decades. Only a handful of numbers came down in the 1940s through 1960s, then a wave arrived in the 1970s and again in the mid-2000s. The 2005–2009 cluster alone added five banners, largely timed to the club's centennial celebrations. Anyone studying the habs retired numbers will notice how the pace accelerated during anniversary years.
A practical note for researchers: dates on banners and dates in press releases sometimes differ by a year, because the club announced a retirement and held the ceremony later. Always check which date a source is citing.
How to apply this: When you see conflicting retirement dates, check whether the source refers to the announcement or the ceremony — the Canadiens' own centennial materials distinguish the two.
Which Numbers Were Retired Twice Under habs retired numbers?
Two banners carry two names each, and both are genuine co-retirements rather than errors. Number 12 honors Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer; number 16 honors Henri Richard and Elmer Lach. The club retired 16 in 1979 for both men and 12 in 2005 for both. These shared banners are among the most distinctive features of the habs retired numbers.
This is the single most common source of confusion for new fans. A visitor counts banners, sees 15, then counts names in a program and gets 18. Both figures are correct.
There is also a separate wrinkle: a few numbers are "honored" but not retired. The Canadiens maintain a distinction between a banner in the rafters and a number simply kept out of circulation. Number 6, worn by Toe Blake, is honored rather than formally retired, and the club has handled a handful of other numbers similarly.
When compiling the habs retired numbers, researchers must separate these honored figures from formal retirements.
That distinction matters because honored numbers can, in principle, be issued again, while retired ones cannot. In practice Montreal has been conservative about both.
How to apply this: If you are cataloguing banners for a project, track "number," "player," and "status" as three separate fields — that prevents the 15-versus-18 mismatch.
The Official Criteria for a Canadiens Banner
The Canadiens have never published a rigid formula, but the pattern across the list is clear enough to describe. Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is effectively a prerequisite — every retired player in Montreal is enshrined. Long tenure with the club and Stanley Cup success are the other consistent factors.
These patterns hold true across all the habs retired numbers.
The Hockey Hall of Fame itself documents the careers behind these banners. Its official site lists every inductee with year, position, and career statistics, which makes it the cleanest cross-check for any name on the rafters.
As the Hall's own biographical records show, players like Maurice Richard and Jean Béliveau built careers that spanned more than a decade in Montreal, and that longevity is part of what the club rewards. Short, brilliant stints have generally not earned a banner. The habs retired numbers reflect sustained excellence rather than brief flashes of brilliance.
One practical consequence: don't expect a number retired the moment a great player leaves. Patrick Roy's 33 came down in 2008, years after his departure and trade. The club waits.
How to apply this: Before arguing that a current player "deserves" a banner, check Hall of Fame status and tenure length first — those two filters eliminate most candidates.
How habs retired numbers Compare to Other NHL Teams
Montreal's total is an outlier, and the comparison makes that obvious. Most franchises have retired a handful of numbers; a few have retired none at all. The gap is a direct reflection of league age and championship count. No other franchise comes close to the habs retired numbers in sheer volume.
| Team | Retired numbers (approx.) | What it reflects | Action to take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 15 | Oldest, most decorated club | Verify against club history page |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 11 | Long history, many legends | Check for "honored" vs "retired" |
| Boston Bruins | 10+ | Deep championship history | Confirm ceremony dates |
| Detroit Red Wings | 8 | Strong mid-century era | Cross-check with Hall of Fame |
| New York Rangers | 9 | Long tenure, fewer Cups | Watch for duplicate honors |
The counts shift as clubs add banners, so treat any table like this as a snapshot rather than a fixed number. The structural point holds: Montreal's list is unusually long because the club has existed since 1909 and won more championships than anyone. The habs retired numbers are a product of both longevity and sustained success.
That age also explains the early dates. A team founded in 1924 simply had fewer decades to accumulate retired numbers than one founded in 1909.
How to apply this: Use the table as a starting framework, then confirm each team's current total on its official site before publishing or citing it.
Frequently Asked Questions About habs retired numbers
Is number 6 retired by the Canadiens?
No — number 6, worn by Toe Blake, is honored rather than formally retired. The club draws a distinction between a banner in the rafters and a number kept out of circulation. If you are building a definitive list of habs retired numbers, place 6 in a separate "honored" category so your count stays accurate at 15.
Can a retired number ever be worn again?
In practice, no. Montreal has never reissued a retired number, and the club treats the banners as permanent. The theoretical exception is an "honored" number, which is not retired in the strict sense. If a future rule change ever occurred, the habs retired numbers policy would need a formal club announcement first.
Who was the most recent player to have a number retired?
Patrick Roy, whose 33 came down in 2008. The late-2000s cluster also included Ken Dryden (29), Bob Gainey (23), and Larry Robinson (19). Since then the club has added no new banners, making the habs retired numbers list unusually stable for nearly two decades.
Why do some sources say 14 numbers instead of 15?
Older sources predate the 2008 and 2009 retirements of Roy and Emile Bouchard. Counts also vary because some lists exclude "honored" numbers or double-count the shared banners for 12 and 16. When comparing sources on habs retired numbers, always check the publication date.
Are the banners in the Bell Centre the original ones?
No — the physical banners have been replaced as the club moved arenas over the decades. The numbers and names they represent are continuous, but the fabric is not. If you are researching habs retired numbers for a historical project, cite the retirement year rather than the banner's physical age.
Conclusion
Montreal's rafters tell a story about longevity, championships, and a club that started the tradition before anyone else.
- 15 numbers, 18 players — the shared banners for 12 and 16 explain the gap.
- 1937 was the start, when number 7 was retired for Howie Morenz.
- "Honored" is not "retired" — number 6 sits in a different category.
- Hall of Fame induction is effectively a prerequisite for a banner.
Your next step: pull up the official Canadiens history page and the Hockey Hall of Fame records side by side, then build your own verified table of habs retired numbers with number, player, and retirement year as separate columns. That single exercise settles most of the arguments fans have about the rafters.
