joliat began his organized hockey career in 1916, playing for several canadian amateur teams in ottawa and iroquois falls, ontario. in 1922, however, joliat was awarded to the montreal canadiens in compensation for the saskatoon sheiks of the western canada hockey league signing aging superstar newsy lalonde. at first, the deal of an unknown for the greatest player in the game was wildly unpopular with habs fans, but the "little giant" proved an immediate success on the ice. the following season, joliat helped the canadiens to the stanley cup in 1924 over the wchl's calgary tigers. he helped the canadiens win two more cups in 1930 and 1931.