Gilbert Perreault
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey
centre
who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres
of the National Hockey League
. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the most gifted and skillful playmaking centres ever to play the game. He is the original Buffalo Sabre because he was drafted first by the team in their inaugural season in the NHL. He is well known as the centre man for the prolific trio of Sabres forwards known as The French Connection
.
Perreault was a standout junior hockey player who went on to become a nine time NHL ALL-Star
, two time official NHL All-Star Team
(second team centre) selection, a Calder Trophy winner, a Lady Byng Trophy winner and a Hockey Hall of Fame
r. He played his entire 17 year career with the Buffalo Sabres and continues to be the all-time franchise leader in career regular season games played, goals
, assists
, points
, game-winning goals, and shots on goal
, serving as the team's captain from 1981 until his initial retirement in November 1986. He led the team to eleven consecutive playoff appearances ending with the 1984–85 season.
Over the course of his 17 season career he accumulated 512 goals and 814 assists in 1191 games. Among his career highlights was the game winning goal in overtime of the 1978 National Hockey League All-Star Game
played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
. Perreault once totaled seven points in a single game which remains a Sabres record. He also recorded the first power play goal and the first hat trick in the team's history. He is the only Buffalo Sabre to wear number 11, with the number being retired in his honor.
to playing on the ice and did not skate until he was eight. At age nine, he made his first appearance at Peewee hockey
tournament in Quebec City
. He left home at the age of 16 to join his first Junior hockey team. His first year (1966–67) of junior hockey was spent with Thetford Mines in the Quebec Junior A League
. His teammates included Rick Kehoe
and Marc Tardif
. The team won the league championships.
(OHA) for the 1967–68 season, the first of three years with the Junior Canadiens. His 49 points in 47 games helped the Junior Canadiens to a second place finish. During his second year on the team, one that included future NHL talents Réjean Houle
and André Dupont
as well as future professional teammates Jocelyn Guevremont
and Richard Martin
, Perreault blossomed. His 97 points were second on the team to Houle's 108 points, and they earned him OHA First All-Star Team honours. As Perreault blossomed, the team excelled. In his second season, the team finished first in the OHA and won the 1969 Memorial Cup
Canadian Junior championship. It was the first Memorial Cup win for Montreal since 1950.
After Houle moved on to become the NHL's first overall pick, Perreault assumed the leadership role and compiled a 51 goal, 71 assist season, which led the team in both categories and place second in the league to Marcel Dionne
's 132 points. The Canadiens defeated the Weyburn Red Wings
to become the third junior team to successfully defend their championship and the Memorial Cup. Perreault was named the Ontario Hockey Association
most valuable player
.
The record of the 1969 and 1970 Montreal Junior Canadiens in the playoffs was so outstanding that it caused a change in Memorial Cup eligibility rules. Previously, all Junior clubs in Canada were eligible for the cup, but the Junior Canadiens beat a club from Prince Edward Island
so badly in the playoffs that 'Junior A' was re-organized into 'Major Junior' and 'Junior A'. Since then, only Major Junior clubs are eligible for the Cup.
. Sabres general manager/coach Punch Imlach
chose his favorite number, number 11, for the roulette wheel spin to determine which franchise would have the first choice in the 1970 Entry Draft. Ultimately, the Canucks were allocated numbers 1-10 on the wheel, while the Sabres had 11-20. When league president Clarence Campbell
spun the wheel, he initially thought the pointer landed on 1. However, while Campbell was congratulating the Vancouver delegation, Imlach asked Campbell to check again. As it turned out, the pointer was on 11. This was the first year that the Montreal Canadiens
did not have a priority right to draft Québécois
junior players. Consequently, Perreault was available and taken first overall by the Sabres.
Coincidentally, Perrault had worn #11 throughout his junior career, and kept it in Buffalo in honour of the roulette wheel choice. As expected, he became an immediate star. He made an immediate splash when he scored a goal in the franchise's very first game, which was a 2-1 victory on October 10, 1970, against the Pittsburgh Penguins
. During his first season, he led the Sabres in scoring (with 38 goals and added 34 assists) — a feat he would never fail to accomplish in any season in which he did not miss significant time to injury before his penultimate year — and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Perreault developed a reputation as a superb stickhandler, and scored a goal on his first shift in a professional scrimmage. Bobby Orr
once said of Perreault: "His head and shoulders go one way, his legs go the other way, and the puck is doing something else. When I first saw it I couldn't believe it." His popularity and respect surpassed that of O. J. Simpson
in a poll of Buffalonians about the best Buffalo athlete. Phil Esposito
once said if anyone was to break his 76 goal, 152 point season records "It will be Gilbert Perreault."
Before the 1971–72 NHL season the Sabres drafted Perreault's Junior Canadiens teammate, Rick Martin, with their first pick. The two gelled as a tandem with each scoring 74 points. Late in the season the Sabres traded Eddie Shack
for Rene Robert
. The trio formed one of the decade's most memorable and exciting lines
, known as "The French Connection
" with Rene Robert
on right wing and Rick Martin
on left wing. They ended the following 1972–73 season sweeping the top three scoring positions for the team and leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance with Perreault winning the Lady Byng Trophy as the most gentlemanly player. In 1973–74, Perreault endured a broken leg that limited him to 55 games.
The 1974–75 NHL season was memorable for the Sabres' Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup Finals
appearance. The Sabres finished first in the newly reformatted league's Adams Division
, and the French Connection members each finished in the top ten in league scoring. The Sabres defeated the Chicago Black Hawks
and Montreal Canadiens
on their way to a Finals appearance against the Philadelphia Flyers
. The Sabres lost the series four games to two. 1975 was the closest that Perreault would come to winning the Stanley Cup.
("Team Canada") that participated in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union
. He managed to contribute two points in two games but left the team after game five.
In 1976, Canada hosted the first Canada Cup series. Perreault played with future Hockey Hall of Fame members such as Bobby Orr, Darryl Sittler
, Bobby Hull
, Guy Lafleur
and Marcel Dionne
. Perreault often played on a line with fellow Québécois Lafleur and Dionne. Canada won the series after beating Czechoslovakia in a best two out of three. He later played in the 1981 Canada Cup
on a line with Wayne Gretzky
and Lafleur. He was playing some of the best hockey of his career, leading all scorers with nine points in four games, when he was forced out of the tournament with a broken ankle. Canada lost the final to the USSR
8–1. Perreault was named to the All Tournament Team, despite playing in only four of Canada's seven games.
He finished his career with scoring totals of 512 goals and 814 assists for 1326 points in 1191 games. At the time of his retirement, Perreault was the sixth leading scorer in NHL history. Along with the other two members of the French Connection, Perreault was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1989. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Sabres retired his number 11 in the same year, having been the only player to ever wear number 11 for the Buffalo Sabres; his #11 was the first number retired by the Sabres. When his French Connection linemates' numbers were retired, Perreault's #11 was lowered and raised back between Martin's
#7 and Robert's
#14, as Buffalo Sabres retired the French Connection line as a group, marking the first three players to have their numbers retired by the Sabres.
Since his retirement from hockey, Perreault has remained active in the game, coaching Junior teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
. In addition, he also plays on occasion with the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team
for charity events.
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...
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...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
who played for seventeen seasons with 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:...
of 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...
. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the most gifted and skillful playmaking centres ever to play the game. He is the original Buffalo Sabre because he was drafted first by the team in their inaugural season in the NHL. He is well known as the centre man for the prolific trio of Sabres forwards known as The French Connection
The French Connection (hockey)
The French Connection was a line of professional ice hockey forwards who played together for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1979. The line consisted of Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault at centre and All-Stars Rick Martin and Rene Robert at left wing and right wing,...
.
Perreault was a standout junior hockey player who went on to become a nine time NHL ALL-Star
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
, two time official NHL All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
(second team centre) selection, a Calder Trophy winner, a Lady Byng Trophy winner and a Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
r. He played his entire 17 year career with the Buffalo Sabres and continues to be the all-time franchise leader in career regular season games played, goals
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...
, assists
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...
, points
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...
, game-winning goals, and shots on goal
Shot on goal
In ice hockey, a shot on goal is a shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the goaltender. A shot on goal must result in either a goal or a save....
, serving as the team's captain from 1981 until his initial retirement in November 1986. He led the team to eleven consecutive playoff appearances ending with the 1984–85 season.
Over the course of his 17 season career he accumulated 512 goals and 814 assists in 1191 games. Among his career highlights was the game winning goal in overtime of the 1978 National Hockey League All-Star Game
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was an indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. It hosted the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL, the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, the Buffalo Braves of the NBA, the Buffalo Stallions of MSL, the Buffalo Bandits of MILL, the Buffalo Blizzard of the second NPSL and the Buffalo...
. Perreault once totaled seven points in a single game which remains a Sabres record. He also recorded the first power play goal and the first hat trick in the team's history. He is the only Buffalo Sabre to wear number 11, with the number being retired in his honor.
Early life
Perreault began playing organized hockey at about age six. He preferred street hockeyStreet hockey
Street hockey is a variation of the sport of ice hockey where the game is played on foot or with inline skates or roller skates. The object of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a ball or puck into the opposing team's net...
to playing on the ice and did not skate until he was eight. At age nine, he made his first appearance at Peewee hockey
Minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from class to class...
tournament in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. He left home at the age of 16 to join his first Junior hockey team. His first year (1966–67) of junior hockey was spent with Thetford Mines in the Quebec Junior A League
Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League
The Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA Quebec or Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League is a Hockey Quebec Junior "AAA" ice hockey league and is a member of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
. His teammates included Rick Kehoe
Rick Kehoe
Rick Thomas Kehoe is a retired professional ice hockey player and coach, most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.- Playing career :...
and Marc Tardif
Marc Tardif
Marc Tardif is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is the leading goal scorer in the history of the World Hockey Association, principally for the Quebec Nordiques.-Playing career:...
. The team won the league championships.
Amateur career
After the Quebec Junior A League shut down, Perreault joined the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Ontario Hockey AssociationOntario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
(OHA) for the 1967–68 season, the first of three years with the Junior Canadiens. His 49 points in 47 games helped the Junior Canadiens to a second place finish. During his second year on the team, one that included future NHL talents Réjean Houle
Réjean Houle
Réjean Houle is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward, most notably for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League, for whom he also served a controversial stint as general manager.-Playing career:...
and André Dupont
Andre Dupont
André "Moose" Dupont is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Quebec Nordiques...
as well as future professional teammates Jocelyn Guevremont
Jocelyn Guevremont
Jocelyn Marcel Guevremont is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played nine season in the National Hockey League...
and Richard Martin
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
, Perreault blossomed. His 97 points were second on the team to Houle's 108 points, and they earned him OHA First All-Star Team honours. As Perreault blossomed, the team excelled. In his second season, the team finished first in the OHA and won the 1969 Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Canadian Junior championship. It was the first Memorial Cup win for Montreal since 1950.
After Houle moved on to become the NHL's first overall pick, Perreault assumed the leadership role and compiled a 51 goal, 71 assist season, which led the team in both categories and place second in the league to Marcel Dionne
Marcel Dionne
Marcel Elphege "Little Beaver" Dionne is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers...
's 132 points. The Canadiens defeated the Weyburn Red Wings
Weyburn Red Wings
The Weyburn Red Wings are a junior ice hockey team, based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and currently playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their home games at the Weyburn Colosseum which has a seating capacity of 1,950. The team colours are red and white. The team logo is the...
to become the third junior team to successfully defend their championship and the Memorial Cup. Perreault was named the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
The record of the 1969 and 1970 Montreal Junior Canadiens in the playoffs was so outstanding that it caused a change in Memorial Cup eligibility rules. Previously, all Junior clubs in Canada were eligible for the cup, but the Junior Canadiens beat a club from Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
so badly in the playoffs that 'Junior A' was re-organized into 'Major Junior' and 'Junior A'. Since then, only Major Junior clubs are eligible for the Cup.
Professional career
In 1970, two new franchises were awarded in the NHL — the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. Sabres general manager/coach Punch Imlach
Punch Imlach
George "Punch" Imlach , was an NHL coach and general manager. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early career:...
chose his favorite number, number 11, for the roulette wheel spin to determine which franchise would have the first choice in the 1970 Entry Draft. Ultimately, the Canucks were allocated numbers 1-10 on the wheel, while the Sabres had 11-20. When league president Clarence Campbell
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell OBE, QC was the third president of the National Hockey League from 1946 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
spun the wheel, he initially thought the pointer landed on 1. However, while Campbell was congratulating the Vancouver delegation, Imlach asked Campbell to check again. As it turned out, the pointer was on 11. This was the first year that 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 ...
did not have a priority right to draft Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
junior players. Consequently, Perreault was available and taken first overall by the Sabres.
Coincidentally, Perrault had worn #11 throughout his junior career, and kept it in Buffalo in honour of the roulette wheel choice. As expected, he became an immediate star. He made an immediate splash when he scored a goal in the franchise's very first game, which was a 2-1 victory on October 10, 1970, against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. During his first season, he led the Sabres in scoring (with 38 goals and added 34 assists) — a feat he would never fail to accomplish in any season in which he did not miss significant time to injury before his penultimate year — and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Perreault developed a reputation as a superb stickhandler, and scored a goal on his first shift in a professional scrimmage. Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
once said of Perreault: "His head and shoulders go one way, his legs go the other way, and the puck is doing something else. When I first saw it I couldn't believe it." His popularity and respect surpassed that of O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
in a poll of Buffalonians about the best Buffalo athlete. Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
once said if anyone was to break his 76 goal, 152 point season records "It will be Gilbert Perreault."
Before the 1971–72 NHL season the Sabres drafted Perreault's Junior Canadiens teammate, Rick Martin, with their first pick. The two gelled as a tandem with each scoring 74 points. Late in the season the Sabres traded Eddie Shack
Eddie Shack
Edward Steven Phillip Shack , also known by the nicknames "The Entertainer" and "The Nose" is a retired Canadian hockey player who played for six National Hockey League teams from 1959 to 1975,Shack was born in Sudbury, Ontario...
for Rene Robert
Rene Robert
René Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
. The trio formed one of the decade's most memorable and exciting lines
Line (ice hockey)
A line in ice hockey is a term used to describe a group of forwards that play in a group, or shift, during a game.A complete forward line consists of a left wing, a center, and a right wing, while a pair of defensemen who play together are called a "defensive pairing." Typically, a team dresses...
, known as "The French Connection
The French Connection (hockey)
The French Connection was a line of professional ice hockey forwards who played together for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1979. The line consisted of Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault at centre and All-Stars Rick Martin and Rene Robert at left wing and right wing,...
" with Rene Robert
Rene Robert
René Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
on right wing and Rick Martin
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
on left wing. They ended the following 1972–73 season sweeping the top three scoring positions for the team and leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance with Perreault winning the Lady Byng Trophy as the most gentlemanly player. In 1973–74, Perreault endured a broken leg that limited him to 55 games.
The 1974–75 NHL season was memorable for the Sabres' Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
appearance. The Sabres finished first in the newly reformatted league's Adams Division
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...
, and the French Connection members each finished in the top ten in league scoring. The Sabres defeated the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and 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 ...
on their way to a Finals appearance against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Sabres lost the series four games to two. 1975 was the closest that Perreault would come to winning the Stanley Cup.
International career
Perreault was named to the Canadian national teamCanadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
("Team Canada") that participated in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union
Soviet national ice hockey team
The Soviet national ice hockey team , was the national hockey team of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were the most dominant team of all time in international play. The team won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament between 1954 and 1991 held by the International Ice Hockey Federation...
. He managed to contribute two points in two games but left the team after game five.
In 1976, Canada hosted the first Canada Cup series. Perreault played with future Hockey Hall of Fame members such as Bobby Orr, Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler
Darryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
, Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, Guy Lafleur
Guy Lafleur
Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...
and Marcel Dionne
Marcel Dionne
Marcel Elphege "Little Beaver" Dionne is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers...
. Perreault often played on a line with fellow Québécois Lafleur and Dionne. Canada won the series after beating Czechoslovakia in a best two out of three. He later played in the 1981 Canada Cup
1981 Canada Cup
The 1981 Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title, while Soviet...
on a line with Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and Lafleur. He was playing some of the best hockey of his career, leading all scorers with nine points in four games, when he was forced out of the tournament with a broken ankle. Canada lost the final to the USSR
Soviet national ice hockey team
The Soviet national ice hockey team , was the national hockey team of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were the most dominant team of all time in international play. The team won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament between 1954 and 1991 held by the International Ice Hockey Federation...
8–1. Perreault was named to the All Tournament Team, despite playing in only four of Canada's seven games.
Retirement
Perreault retired at the end of the 1985-86 season. Thereafter, pension changes came into effect significantly boosting the pensions of retired players who played at least twenty games in the 1986-87 season. He duly came out of retirement, and still played effectively, scoring 9 goals in the first 14 games. He retired for good on November 24, 1986 after his twentieth game.He finished his career with scoring totals of 512 goals and 814 assists for 1326 points in 1191 games. At the time of his retirement, Perreault was the sixth leading scorer in NHL history. Along with the other two members of the French Connection, Perreault was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1989. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Sabres retired his number 11 in the same year, having been the only player to ever wear number 11 for the Buffalo Sabres; his #11 was the first number retired by the Sabres. When his French Connection linemates' numbers were retired, Perreault's #11 was lowered and raised back between Martin's
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
#7 and Robert's
Rene Robert
René Paul Robert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 12 seasons in the NHL between 1970 and 1982. Robert was selected to 2 National Hockey League All-Star Games and was selected as the Second NHL All-Star Team right wing in 1974–75.Robert played 744 career NHL games,...
#14, as Buffalo Sabres retired the French Connection line as a group, marking the first three players to have their numbers retired by the Sabres.
Since his retirement from hockey, Perreault has remained active in the game, coaching Junior teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
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...
. In addition, he also plays on occasion with the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team
Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team
The Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team is an independent barnstorming hockey team located in Buffalo, New York. Its roster consists entirely of retired National Hockey League players, mostly former members of the Buffalo Sabres...
for charity events.
Personal life
Perreault is married to Carmen, has two sons, Marc-André (born 1978) and Sean (born 1986), and still resides in his hometown of Victoriaville, Quebec. After retiring from playing, Perreault coached junior ice hockey, and invested in real estate. In his spare time, Perreault enjoys golfing, listening to music, and going to the movies.Career achievements
- Tied with Marc BergevinMarc BergevinMarc Bergevin is a retired French Canadian professional hockey defenceman. He is the current assistant General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks.-Playing career:...
for 89th for most games played with 1191. - Holds franchise record for most games, goals, assists and points with the Buffalo Sabres.
- Currently 37th in all-time goals scored, as of the end of the 2008–09 season2008–09 NHL seasonThe 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. - Currently 25th in all-time assists scored, as of the end of the 2008–09 seaosn.
- Currently 31st in all-time points scored, as of the end of the 2008–09 season.
- Won the Calder Memorial TrophyCalder Memorial TrophyThe Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
in 1971. - Won the Lady Byng Memorial TrophyLady Byng Memorial TrophyThe Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"...
in 1973. - Named an NHL Second Team All-StarNHL All-Star TeamThe NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
in 1976 and 1977. - Chosen to play in nine NHL All-Star Games in 1970–71, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, and 1983–84.
- In 1998, he was ranked number 47 on The Hockey NewsThe Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
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 | ||
| 1967–68 | Montreal Jr. Canadiens Montreal Jr. Canadiens The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-History:... |
OHA Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
47 | 15 | 34 | 49 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 5 | ||
| 1968–69 | Montreal Jr. Canadiens | OHA | 54 | 37 | 60 | 97 | 29 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 10 | ||
| 1969–70 | Montreal Jr. Canadiens | OHA | 54 | 51 | 71 | 121 | 26 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 4 | ||
| 1970–71 | 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 | 78 | 38 | 34 | 72 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 76 | 26 | 48 | 74 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 78 | 28 | 60 | 88 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 1973–74 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 55 | 18 | 33 | 51 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 68 | 37 | 59 | 96 | 36 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 10 | ||
| 1975–76 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 80 | 44 | 69 | 113 | 36 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 1976–77 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 80 | 39 | 56 | 95 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1977–78 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 79 | 41 | 48 | 89 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1978–79 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 79 | 27 | 58 | 85 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1979–80 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 80 | 40 | 66 | 106 | 57 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 8 | ||
| 1980–81 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 56 | 20 | 39 | 59 | 56 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 62 | 31 | 42 | 73 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 77 | 30 | 46 | 76 | 34 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1983–84 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 73 | 31 | 59 | 90 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 78 | 30 | 53 | 83 | 42 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 1985–86 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 72 | 21 | 39 | 60 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 20 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| OHA totals | 155 | 103 | 165 | 268 | 65 | 41 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 19 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1191 | 512 | 814 | 1326 | 500 | 90 | 33 | 70 | 103 | 44 | ||||
See also
- French Connection (ice hockey)
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 500 goals