Notoriously tough NHLer passed away over the week-end.

The National Hockey League has lost another former player from one of the greatest era's in the sports history.

The Canadiens announced on Thursday that former a former Habs, Lou Fontinato passed away over the week-end, he was 84 years old. Here is the official statement from the Montreal Canadiens:

The Montreal Canadiens organization is deeply saddened by the passing of former defenseman Lou Fontinato. He was 84 years old.

Fontinato played nine seasons in the NHL between 1954 and 1963, spending the final two years of his career with the Canadiens. In 536 games — 117 with the Habs — the Guelph native registered 1,247 penalty minutes, notably racking up a record 200-plus minutes in 1955-56 with the New York Rangers.

Fontinato was part of four playoff teams, including the 1961-62 Canadiens. He retired at the end of the 1962-63 season after suffering a neck injury.

You can list all of Fontinato's career accomplishments, but there's no doubt that for long time hockey fans there will be one enduring memory of Fontinato's time in the NHL, his legendary feud with Gordie Howe. Detroit Atheletic Co. has an excellent recap of the legendary feud, one that features descriptions from Howe himself:

“Whenever I went on the ice against the Rangers,” Howe recalled, “the coach sent Fontinato out. The idea was to work on me and distract me. Once, it cost me because I forgot a valuable bit of advice Ted Lindsay gave me. He said don’t ever drop your stick until the other man does. So we get into one game and Louie says, ‘You want to drop your stick?’ and I said, ‘Hell, yes!’ and I threw it to the ice, and the guy hit me right over the head…about six stitches worth. He nailed me, and I stood there laughing over my stupidity, and Lindsay just shook his head.”

On another occasion Fontinato whacked Howe in the mouth with the butt end of his stick, splitting his lip and loosening his tooth. Fontinato mocked him in the penalty box. “What’s the matter with your lip, Gordie?” he said. Howe vowed it wouldn’t happen again.

“Damned if I didn’t find myself in the same position in our next game,” Howe said. “When he went to hit me, I raised my stick and cross-checked him and damned near cut his ear off. Tit for tat. When he came back to the bench from the dressing room, he was wearing a bandage turban, real funny looking. The crowd threw beer and everything on me. So that was the situation between us when we went into New York to play the Rangers again.”

If there's an ice rink in heaven, you can bet that Gordie Howe and Lou Fontinato have already renewed their rivalry.

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