Donald Audette
Encyclopedia
Donald Audette is a Canadian
retired professional ice hockey
forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres
, Los Angeles Kings
, Atlanta Thrashers
, Dallas Stars
, Montreal Canadiens
and Florida Panthers
.
, 183rd overall by the Buffalo Sabres
. Despite his small stature, Audette became known for his gritty, feisty style of play and quickly endeared himself to Buffalo hockey fans with a 31 goal rookie season. However, his rough and tumble style of play led to lengthy trips to the injury reserve, including several knee injuries that ended his 1992–93 and 1995–96 seasons.
In 1998 Audette was traded to the Los Angeles Kings
. Two years later, as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers
, he reached his career high in goals (34) and assists (45) and made it to the NHL All-Star game.
Audette was traded back to the Buffalo Sabres in March 2001, and signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Dallas Stars
later that summer. In the middle of the 2001–02 season, Audette was traded again, this time to the Montreal Canadiens
. In a game against the New York Rangers
on December 1, 2001, Audette had the tendons of his forearm severed by an opponent's skate and required life-saving surgery to repair the extensive damage, but still managed to recover in time for the playoffs.
After struggling to make a mark with the Florida Panthers
for half of the 2003–04 season, Audette stopped playing professionally.
Prior to playing in the NHL, Audette won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the top rookie in the American Hockey League
(AHL), while playing for the Rochester Americans
. However, he is most remembered, by some, for the spearing penalty he took the closing minute of the third period of game six of the '91 Calder Cup series which ended up costing the Americans the Calder Cup
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
retired professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
, Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
and Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
.
Playing career
He was drafted in the 9th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft1989 NHL Entry Draft
The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
, 183rd overall by the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. Despite his small stature, Audette became known for his gritty, feisty style of play and quickly endeared himself to Buffalo hockey fans with a 31 goal rookie season. However, his rough and tumble style of play led to lengthy trips to the injury reserve, including several knee injuries that ended his 1992–93 and 1995–96 seasons.
In 1998 Audette was traded to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Two years later, as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
, he reached his career high in goals (34) and assists (45) and made it to the NHL All-Star game.
Audette was traded back to the Buffalo Sabres in March 2001, and signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
later that summer. In the middle of the 2001–02 season, Audette was traded again, this time to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. In a game against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
on December 1, 2001, Audette had the tendons of his forearm severed by an opponent's skate and required life-saving surgery to repair the extensive damage, but still managed to recover in time for the playoffs.
After struggling to make a mark with the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
for half of the 2003–04 season, Audette stopped playing professionally.
Prior to playing in the NHL, Audette won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the top rookie in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL), while playing for the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
. However, he is most remembered, by some, for the spearing penalty he took the closing minute of the third period of game six of the '91 Calder Cup series which ended up costing the Americans the Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1986–87 | Laval Titan Laval Titan The Laval Titan was one of the names used by a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise that played in Laval, Quebec, between 1971 and 1998.-History:... |
QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
66 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 36 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1987–88 | Laval Titan | QMJHL | 63 | 48 | 61 | 109 | 56 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 20 | ||
| 1988–89 | Laval Titan | QMJHL | 70 | 76 | 85 | 161 | 123 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 43 | ||
| 1989–90 1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season... |
Rochester Americans Rochester Americans The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
70 | 42 | 46 | 88 | 78 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 29 | ||
| 1989–90 | Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
NHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 1990–91 AHL season The 1990–91 AHL season was the 55th season of the American Hockey League. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Rochester Americans | AHL | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 63 | 31 | 17 | 48 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 1992–93 AHL season The 1992–93 AHL season was the 57th season of the American Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Rangers finished first overall in the regular season with 124 points, a which holds to this day... |
Rochester Americans | AHL | 6 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 44 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 51 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1993–94 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 77 | 29 | 30 | 59 | 41 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1994–95 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 46 | 24 | 13 | 37 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 1995-96 NHL season The 1995–96 NHL season was the 79th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Colorado Avalanche, who, in their first year as the Avalanche, swept the Florida Panthers in four games.-League business:... |
Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 23 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 1996-97 NHL season The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years. The regular season saw a decline in scoring and rise in the... |
Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 73 | 28 | 22 | 50 | 48 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 1997–98 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 75 | 24 | 20 | 44 | 59 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1998–99 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 49 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 49 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Atlanta Thrashers Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season... |
NHL | 14 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 64 | 32 | 39 | 71 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 12 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2001–02 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 20 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | ||
| 2002–03 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 54 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens... |
AHL | 11 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 23 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
NHL | 28 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 735 | 260 | 249 | 509 | 584 | 73 | 21 | 27 | 48 | 46 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
|||||
| First All-Star Team | 1989 | ||||
| Playoff MVP | 1989 | ||||
| AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
|||||
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award | 1990 1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season... |
>- | First All-Star Team | 1990 | |
| NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
|||||
| NHL All-Star Game | 2001 | ||||