Dollard St. Laurent, winner of 5 Stanley Cups, dies at 85

MONTREAL (AP) Dollard St. Laurent, a defenseman who won five Stanley Cups and played on the powerhouse Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s, has died. He was 85.

His death was announced by the Canadiens on Monday, two days after the death of 97-year-old former Montreal star Elmer Lach.

St. Laurent played eight seasons for Montreal, winning Stanley Cups in 1953, 1956, 1957 and 1958. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1958 for cash and future considerations and won a title with them in 1961.

He had 29 goals and 133 assists in 652 games over 12 NHL seasons. He had two goals and 22 assists in 92 playoff games.

St. Laurent made his NHL debut with three games in 1951-52 before becoming a regular with Montreal. He was dealt before the Canadiens completed their run of five straight Cups from 1956 to 1960.

He was steadying influence for a rising Blackhawks team that ended a 23-year Stanley Cup drought. After the 1961-62 season, St. Laurent was sent to the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League, where he broke a leg and then retired at the end of the season.

He was the fifth former Canadien to die in recent months, following defenseman Carol Vadnais in August, legendary captain Jean Beliveau in December, former coach Claude Ruel in February and Lach.