Canadiens Celebrate Latest Cup Victory

May 1, 1965 - Accepting Stanley Cups and knocking back champagne is old hat for coach Toe Blake and Jean Beliveau, but both were beaming like first-timers tonight in the bedlam of the Montreal Canadiens’ dressing room.

“There’s more satisfaction in winning this one than any of the others,” said Blake, coach of five previous Cup teams. “We had our problems all year. It was a hard season. We had some bad injuries.

“But I’m really happy for these players. Especially for fellows like J.C. Tremblay, who proved he belongs with the great stars of the game.”

Beliveau, besieged by reporters, well-wishers, and teammates, was still clothed in his uniform long after the other Habs had changed into street garb. 

“This is the best of the six championship teams I’ve been on,” Jean said. “There’s more satisfaction because no one in the press thought we’d win. But the players were more optimistic.”

Of all the Canadiens, it was easy to see that goalie Gump Worsley was on the loftiest cloud.

“It’s hard to put in words just how I feel about all this,” he said between puffs on a cigarette. “When you play in the minors, you wonder sometimes if you’ll ever get back. I guess I did.”

Although Gump would have been the starting goaltender under Blake’s system of changing goalies after a loss, the coach said that wasn’t the reasons he gave Worsley the nod over Charlie Hodge, the losing backstop in a 2-1 defeat at Chicago in the sixth game.

“I thought Worsley would be less nervous than Charlie, and he looked real sharp in practice Friday, so I decided to take a chance,” Blake said.

“Sure, Bobby Hull has never scored on me,” Gump told newsmen. “But don’t ever forget the work Claude Provost put in to guard Hull — just don’t forget that.”

Almost lost in the crowd were four less jubilant figures. Chicago coach Billy Reay, manager Tommy Ivan, owner James Norris, and vice-president Mike Wirtz wandered in to congratulate the Canadiens.

“No excuses, no alibis,” said Reay. “We were stoned, beaten by a better team. Skating is most of this game, and they outskated us. They also seemed stronger down the center than us.”

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