#13 - Doug Harvey

Doug Harvey (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #13)

Adjusted Stats

1947-1948  Mtl          48 GP   6 goals   6 assists    11 points     0.24 PPG
1948-1949  Mtl          75 GP   5 goals   20 assists  25 points     0.33 PPG
1949-1950  Mtl          82 GP   5 goals   26 assists  32 points     0.39 PPG
1950-1951  Mtl          82 GP   7 goals   32 assists  39 points     0.47 PPG
1951-1952  Mtl          80 GP   8 goals   32 assists  40 points     0.51 PPG
1952-1953  Mtl*        81 GP   6 goals   45 assists  51 points     0.63 PPG
1953-1954  Mtl          80 GP   12 goals 44 assists  56 points     0.70 PPG
1954-1955  Mtl          82 GP   9 goals   61 assists  70 points     0.85 PPG
1955-1956  Mtl*        73 GP   7 goals   55 assists  63 points     0.86 PPG
1956-1957  Mtl*        82 GP   8 goals   59 assists  67 points     0.82 PPG
1957-1958  Mtl*        80 GP   12 goals 41 assists  53 points     0.66 PPG
1958-1959  Mtl*        71 GP   5 goals   20 assists  25 points     0.35 PPG
1959-1960  Mtl*        77 GP   7 goals   26 assists  33 points     0.43 PPG
1960-1961  Mtl          68 GP   7 goals   40 assists  47 points     0.69 PPG
1961-1962  NYR       81 GP   7 goals   29 assists  36 points     0.44 PPG
1962-1963  NYR       80 GP   5 goals   42 assists  47 points     0.59 PPG
1963-1964  NYR       16 GP   0 goals   3 assists    3 points       0.16 PPG
1966-1967  Det          2 GP     0 goals   0 assists    0 points       0.00 PPG
1967-1968  Stl           76 GP    2 goals   22 assists  24 points     0.32 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1948-1949  Mtl          7 GP      0 goals   1 assist      1 point       0.16 PPG
1949-1950  Mtl          5 GP      0 goals   3 assists     3 points     0.52 PPG
1950-1951  Mtl          11 GP    0 goals   7 assists     7 points     0.62 PPG
1951-1952  Mtl          11 GP    0 goals   4 assists     4 points     0.39 PPG
1952-1953  Mtl*        12 GP    0 goals   5 assists     5 points     0.43 PPG
1953-1954  Mtl          10 GP    0 goals   3 assists     3 points     0.26 PPG
1954-1955  Mtl          12 GP    0 goals   10 assists   10 points   0.81 PPG
1955-1956  Mtl*        10 GP    2 goals   5 assists     7 points     0.70 PPG
1956-1957  Mtl*        10 GP    0 goals   7 assists     7 points     0.70 PPG
1957-1958  Mtl*        10 GP    2 goals   8 assists     10 points   1.00 PPG
1958-1959  Mtl*        11 GP    1 goal    10 assists    11 points   1.02 PPG
1959-1960  Mtl*        8 GP      3 goals   0 assists      3 points    0.39 PPG
1960-1961  Mtl          6 GP      0 goals   1 assist       1 point      0.19 PPG
1961-1962  NYR       6 GP      0 goals   1 assist       1 point      0.17 PPG
1967-1968  Stl           8 GP      0 goals   4 assists      4 points    0.50 PPG

Career - 1316 GP, 118 goals, 603 assists, 722 points, 0.55 PPG
Career-Highs - 12 goals (53-54); 61 assists (54-55); 70 points (54-55); 0.86 PPG (55-56)
Avg. (19 seasons) - 69 GP, 6 goals, 32 assists, 38 points, 0.55 PPG
Peak Avg. (50-58) - 80 GP, 9 goals, 46 assists, 55 points, 0.69 PPG, 4 Cups

Playoff Career - 137 GP, 8 goals, 69 assists, 77 points, 0.56 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (59-60); 10 assists (58-59); 11 points (58-59); 1.02 PPG (58-59)

Accolades - 7 Norris Trophies
All-Star Teams - 10-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
6-time Stanley Cup Champion

Harvey's place on my pyramid is more due to his reputation among those who saw him than any personal knowledge I have of his game. When The Hockey News did its poll of the 50 greatest players of all-time in 1997, Harvey placed #6 all-time, and he still retained his spot as the 2nd best defenceman ever (behind you know who) 14 years later, even in the post-Lidstrom era.

I rank Lidstrom and Bourque slightly ahead of Harvey just because the former players played during a 20+ team league, while Harvey dominated the Original Six. Harvey's offensive statistics rank near the bottom of anyone on the pyramid, across the board (only Scott Stevens and Chris Chelios are comparable). Yet I trust those who say that Harvey controlled the pace of the game while he played, and that he laid the groundwork for Bobby Orr's transformation of the way defencemen were viewed.

Harvey was a defensive-defenseman first and foremost, and by that criteria, he had few peers. He was the anchor of the Habs' team that won five straight Stanley Cup championships and consistently led the league in goals against average. Harvey was also the quarterback of a Canadiens' power play that was so dominant, it forced the league to change its rules so that 2-minute penalties ended as soon as the team with the power play scored.

What really elevates Harvey's status, aside from the six Stanley Cup championships, is how he was viewed at the time he played. 10 first-team all-star selections and 7 Norris trophies indicate that Harvey was regarded as hands-down the best defenceman in the league at the time he played. I've seen Harvey on a few ESPN classic games, and what I find noteworthy is how slow and disinterested he seems at times, almost as if he is floating in the slot area on defence. Yet he always manages to pick off the puck and start a beautiful rush the other way. That's what Harvey mastered before Orr came along, and it was enough to earn him a high spot on the pyramid list of the greatest defencemen to play the game.