Season 3: 1978-79

"I guess coming from the province of Quebec, in the early days, we only saw hockey on Saturday night and the only team on TV was the Montreal Canadiens," Guy once explained about his childhood. "Every time I had a chance to watch the game, I did." To most boys growing up in Quebec, the Canadiens were hockey and hockey was life. There is really no equivalent in American sports to the kind of devotion Guy must have had to Les Glorieux in his youth.

Therefore it is almost impossible to conceive what it must have been like for the 19-year-old Guy, after a lifetime of dreaming and working and focusing on that very goal, to hear the words "The Montreal Canadiens select, from the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, Guy Carbonneau."

Guy was drafted on August 9, 1979, the second pick of the third round, 44th overall and the Canadiens fourth pick. He had been rated 210th by Central Scouting in its pre-draft evaluation of prospects, but Montreal GM Irving Grundman believed Guy had "tremendous potential." He was chosen four players ahead of Mark Messier. Other significant players drafted that year were Mike Gartner (4th), Ray Bourque (8th), and Kevin Lowe (21st).

Things were changing on Carbo’s future team. A month before Guy was drafted, the Habs had won the last of four Cups in a row. Leaving the organization were Coach Scotty Bowman, and stars Ken Dryden, Jacques Lemaire and Yvan Cournoyer. Of the offensively talented Cournoyer and the defensive minded Lemaire, many expected Carbonneau might replace the former, since Guy had already blossomed into a prolific scorer (fifth highest that year in the QMJHL). But as we know now, it would be Lemaire he eventually succeeded, becoming just as renowned a two-way player.

Guy was drafted young because he was good enough, but the Habs were also so good that they were in no hurry to utilize his skills. So Guy’s ultimate place in the Canadien's plans would be unknown for three more years. On that August day, all the young Carbo knew was that he was on his way to realizing a dream.

And in the meanwhile, he had one more year to work for the Saguenéens.

Resources:

Saguenéens de Chicoutimi (web site of Guy Villeneuve)
1995-96 Official Game Program, The Dallas Stars
"Who is Guy Carbonneau?", Goal, February 1987

Year's Stats:  Events: Regular Season GP G A Pts PIM 72 62 79 141 47 Playoffs GP G A Pts PIM 4 2 1 3 4 1st in scoring on the Saguenéens 5th highest scorer in QMJHL Labatts Offensive Player of the Month for January Drafted by Montreal August 9, 1979, 44th overall and the Canadiens' fourth pick

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