MONTRÉAL – It is with great sadness that the Montreal Canadiens organization mourns the passing of Bob Fillion at the age of 95. The former left winger, who won two Stanley Cups with the Canadiens along with Maurice Richard in 1944 and 1946, was the oldest living former Canadiens player since the death of Elmer Lach and John Mahaffy , who both passed away earlier this year.

Born in Thetford Mines, Quebec on January 12, 1920, Robert Fillion grew up playing hockey. In addition to him, his six brothers also played at a professional or senior level. Furthermore, all seven brothers (Bob, Marcel, Dennis, Georges, Nelson, Fernand and Jean-Marie) all played for the Thetford Chappies in their native city during the 1940s. Marcel Fillion also played one game in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1944-45.

In 1938, Bob Fillion left Thetford Mines to join the Canadiens’ farm team, the Verdun Maple Leafs, where he happened to meet Maurice Richard and Émile “Butch” Bouchard. Bob Fillion was the one who actually gave Mr. Bouchard the nickname of “Butch”.

Bob Fillion played seven seasons with the Canadiens between 1943 and 1950. He amassed 103 points (42 goals, 61 assists) in 327 regular season games. He also suited up for the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL (1947-48) and the Sherbrooke Saints of the Quebec Senior League (1950-51).



Despite his age, Bob Fillion was a dedicated fan who attended Canadiens games on a regular basis ever since the Alumni Association was created in 1983.

