BY JACK C. RUTHERFORD
The late 1960s was a great time to be a Montreal Canadiens fan. The Habs were on one of their incredible runs, winning four of five Stanley Cups from 1965 through 1969. Led by legendary coach Toe Blake, their lineups boasted nearly a dozen future Hall of Famers, including Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Gump Worsley, Jacques Laperriere, Dick Duff, Serge Savard, Rogie Vachon, Jacques Lemaire, Tony Esposito and Guy Lapointe.
Recognizing how intrinsically the Canadiens were woven into the province’s culture, a local grocery chain named IGA licensed the likenesses of the teams stars for a trio of annual promotions. Today, more than 50 years later, those promo pieces remain some of the most coveted and challenging collectibles for Canadiens completists.