Aurel Joliat

Aurèle Émile Joliat (August 29, 1901 – June 2, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger, nicknamed the "Mighty Atom" and the "Little Giant," who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens. Born and raised in Ottawa, he began his organized hockey career in 1916, playing for several Canadian amateur teams in Ottawa and Iroquois Falls, Ontario. Joliat had signed a contract to play for the Saskatoon Crescents of the Western Canada Hockey League for the 1922–23 season, but his contract rights were traded to the Montreal Canadiens when Crescents' manager Frederick E. Betts sought to sign aging superstar Newsy Lalonde as a player-coach. The deal of an unknown for the greatest player in the game was at first wildly unpopular with Habs fans, but Joliat proved an immediate success on the ice. The following season, he helped the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup in 1924 over the WCHL's Calgary Tigers, and he helped the club win two more cups in 1930 and 1931. Joliat was noteworthy as a two-way forward, particularly for his ability to counterattack after a breakup. He achieved this despite his lack of size, standing 5′7″ and weighing 136 pounds.