Mario Tremblay

Mario Tremblay
Mario Tremblay
Born	September 2, 1956 (age 70); Alma, Quebec, Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey player, coach
Years active	1974–1986 (player), 1995–2009 (coach)
Known for	Five-time Stanley Cup champion with Montreal Canadiens

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Mario Tremblay, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

Joseph Daniel Mario Tremblay (born September 2, 1956) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL). Throughout his playing tenure, he secured five Stanley Cup titles with the Montreal Canadiens.

In recognition of his legacy, his birthplace Alma named its local rink "Le Centre Mario-Tremblay". Since 1981, Tremblay has owned and operated a sports bar there called "Bar-Restaurant chez Mario Tremblay".

Playing career

Known by the nickname "Le bleuet bionique" (The Bionic Blueberry), Tremblay developed his skills in junior hockey with the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge before dedicating his entire NHL career (1974–1986) to the Montreal Canadiens. He claimed five Stanley Cup victories as a player in the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1986. Across 852 regular season appearances, he amassed 258 goals and 326 assists for a total of 584 points, alongside accumulating 1,043 penalty minutes. Notably, he netted the decisive goal in game six of the 1978 Stanley Cup finals and earned the Molson Cup during the 1982-83 campaign. Tremblay stands tenth on the Canadiens' all-time plus-minus leaderboard at +184 and holds the distinction of being the franchise’s youngest player to score a goal, achieving this milestone at just 18 years and 75 days old.

Early on, Tremblay formed an effective forward line with center Doug Risebrough and left winger Yvon Lambert. Their primary responsibility was to suppress opposing teams’ top scorers while generating scoring chances for their more offensively skilled teammates. This trio played a pivotal role in reversing a slow start to the 1974-75 season and contributed significantly to four Stanley Cup championships between 1976 and 1979. Renowned for their aggressive style, all three frequently found themselves serving penalties. As his career progressed, Tremblay took on increased scoring responsibilities and became a staple on the power play unit, registering four seasons with at least 30 goals beginning in 1978-79.

He concluded his playing career in September 1986 after sustaining a severe shoulder injury that prevented him from participating in the 1986 playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens

Tremblay was appointed head coach of the Canadiens six games into the 1995–96 season despite lacking previous coaching experience. He had an ongoing feud with star goaltender Patrick Roy, which originated during their time as teammates, with Tremblay often ridiculing Roy’s English language skills. This tension escalated rapidly and culminated in Roy’s departure from Montreal following a December 2, 1995 match where he conceded nine goals and publicly declared he would never suit up for the Canadiens again. Just four days later, Roy was traded to Colorado, where he went on to win two Stanley Cups. The rivalry endured as Roy eventually equaled Tremblay’s record for the longest winning streak to start an NHL coaching career.

Approximately one year after Roy's exit, Tremblay encountered another conflict with enforcer Donald Brashear, who was subsequently traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Over his period as Montreal’s head coach, Tremblay directed the team through 159 games, compiling a record of 71 victories, 63 defeats, and 25 ties across two seasons.

Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils

In 2001, Tremblay joined the Minnesota Wild as an assistant coach under Jacques Lemaire and remained in that role for seven seasons until the conclusion of the 2008–09 campaign. He followed Lemaire to the New Jersey Devils in 2009 but was not retained following Lemaire’s retirement in 2010. Afterward, Tremblay transitioned into broadcasting as a hockey analyst for Montreal Canadiens broadcasts on Quebec’s RDS network.

Personal life

In 1977, Tremblay wed Collette Germain, and together they raised two daughters. Germain succumbed to cancer in 2015.

He is also the uncle of the professional ice hockey athlete Pascal Trépanier.

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1972–73	Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge	QMJHL	56	43	37	80	155	4	0	1	1	4
1973–74	Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge	QMJHL	46	49	51	100	154	7	1	3	4	17
1974–75	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL	15	10	8	18	47	—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	63	21	18	39	108	11	0	1	1	7
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	71	11	16	27	88	10	0	1	1	27
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	74	18	28	46	61	14	0	3	3	9
1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	56	10	14	24	44	5	2	1	3	16
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	76	30	29	59	74	13	3	4	7	13
1979–80	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	77	16	26	42	105	10	0	11	11	14
1980–81	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	77	25	38	63	123	3	0	0	0	9
1981–82	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	80	33	40	73	66	5	4	1	5	24
1982–83	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	80	30	37	67	87	3	0	1	1	7
1983–84	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	67	14	25	39	112	15	6	3	9	31
1984–85	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	75	31	35	66	120	12	2	6	8	30
1985–86	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	56	19	20	39	55	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			852	258	326	584	1,043	101	20	29	49	187

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Postseason
Team	Year	GP	W	L	T	Pts	Finish	Result
MTL	1995–96	77	40	27	10	90	3rd in Northeast Division Division)	Eliminated in first round
MTL	1996–97	82	31	36	(15)	77	(4th in Northeast)	Exited in first round
Overall Record		!159	71	63	25	167