Nicknamed "Junior" because he shared his father's given name, Langlois went on to play for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins, earning the distinction of being the last Bruins player to wear No. 4 before it was given to and eventually immortalized by Bobby Orr.
A native of Magog, Quebec, Langlois played 498 NHL games between 1957-58 and 1965-66, a dependable defenseman who scored 112 points (21 goals, 91 assists). He won championships with the Canadiens in 1958, 1959 and 1960, the last three in their historic run of five straight.
After appearing in one game in 1957-58, Langlois made the Canadiens lineup to start the 1958-59 season, soon proving to be one of the premier stay-at-home defensemen in the NHL who regularly put his 6-foot, 205-pound frame to good use. Whatever the method, his hard-hitting style always lifted Montreal Forum fans from their seats in appreciation.
Langlois was traded to the Rangers by the Canadiens for fellow defenseman John Hanna on June 13, 1961. Doug Harvey, then Canadiens captain and often Langlois' partner, was traded to New York that same day for defenseman Lou Fontinato. He had the most productive offensive season of his NHL career in 1961-62 with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) while helping the Rangers to a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Traded to Detroit on Feb. 14, 1964, Langlois finished his NHL career with Boston in 1965-66 and then played one season for Los Angeles of the Western Hockey League before beginning a successful business career in Southern California. In the early years of his retirement, he was a regular color commentator alongside Dick Irvin Jr. on Canadiens radio broadcasts.
