Elmer Lach

Elmer James Lach (January 22, 1918 – April 4, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. Born in Nokomis, Saskatchewan, he was the youngest of six children born to William and Mary-Ann Lach, who arrived in Canada from Eastern Europe in 1910. He began playing hockey for his school team at the age of twelve.

With Montreal, Lach centred the Punch line alongside Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the NHL in scoring twice and was awarded the Hart Trophy in 1945 as the league's most valuable player. He won three Stanley Cups with the Canadiens. When he retired in 1954, he was the league's all-time leading scorer.

Lach was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame twelve years after his retirement. His number 16 was retired on December 4, 2009, during the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. In 2017 he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.