Elmer James Lach (born January 22, 1918-April 4, 2015) was a retired Canadian professional centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch Line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1945 as the league's Most Valuable Player. Lach won three Stanley Cups with Montreal. He retired as the league's all-time leading scorer in 1954, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame 12 years later. Up until his death he was oldest suriving NHL player.