Rogie Vachon honored by Canadiens on way to Hall

MONTREAL-- Rogie Vachon, who won the Stanley Cup three times as a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, was honored Thursday by his first NHL team before they played the Los Angeles Kings at Bell Centre.
Vachon, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, dropped the ceremonial faceoff and had his name and picture unveiled on the Bell Centre Ring of Honour, which celebrates every member of the Canadiens who is in the Hall of Fame.
"Wow, you're talking about 100 years of fantastic hockey with the Montreal Canadiens," Vachon said. "They have so much class. They know how to do things. Looking up and seeing in over 100 years there's only, like, 46 people in there. So I'm very proud of that. That thing, it's going to be there forever. You don't just erase it and that kind of stuff, it's there. Right now I enjoy it with my kids and grandkids. What a night."

Vachon, who won the Stanley Cup in 1968, 1969 and 1971, is the 46th player to be added to the Ring of Honour, along with 11 builders who also are in the Hall of Fame.
Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, coach Michel Therrien, and Réjean Houle, president of the Canadiens Alumni Association and Vachon's former teammate, presented him with a framed jersey prior to the game.
Vachon broke into the NHL with the Canadiens in 1967, but he became an all-star after being traded to the Kings for four players on Nov. 4, 1971. He retired after the 1981-82 season.
Vachon will fly to Toronto for Hall of Fame weekend on Friday morning.
"I'm really looking forward to that event as well," Vachon said. "It's something that in your career you figure, well, over the years you don't think you're going to make it. But in my case, I thought maybe I had a chance to make it after my career and it was not happening. So finally, after over 30 years of waiting, now they pulled the trigger and I'm in.
"It's pretty exciting. It's going to be a fun weekend."