Guy Lapointe
Encyclopedia
Guy Gerard "Pointu" Lapointe (born March 18, 1948) is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey
defenceman
who played for the Montreal Canadiens
, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins
in the National Hockey League
. He currently serves as Coordinator of Amateur Scouting with the NHL's Minnesota Wild
.
and Serge Savard
, Lapointe was a member of the "Big Three" and played a key role in the Canadiens' winning the Stanley Cup
six times in 1971
, 1973
, 1976
, 1977
, 1978
, 1979
. Nicknamed "Pointu", Lapointe was famous for his practical jokes, sense of humor and powerful slapshot. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues
in 1982 and signed with the Boston Bruins
the following season. He retired in 1984 following a series of injuries.
Following his retirement, Lapointe became general manager of the Longueuil Chevaliers
of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
, followed by a stint as associate coach with the Quebec Nordiques
. He later served as an assistant coach and later as a scout with the Calgary Flames
. He is currently coordinator of amateur scouting with the Minnesota Wild
, a position he has held since the franchise's inception.
Lapointe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1993. In 884 NHL games, Lapointe recorded 171 goals and 451 assists for 622 points. He still holds the Montreal Canadiens' record for most goals in a season for a defenseman (28), and most goals for a rookie defenseman (15).
and the 1979 Challenge Cup
against the Soviets, which replaced that year's All-Star Game.
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played for 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 ...
, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
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...
. He currently serves as Coordinator of Amateur Scouting with the NHL's Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Career
Along with defencemen Larry RobinsonLarry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
and Serge Savard
Serge Savard
Serge Aubrey "The Senator" Savard, OC, CQ is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a local businessman in Montreal, and is nicknamed the Senator.-Playing career:Savard played minor league hockey with the...
, Lapointe was a member of the "Big Three" and played a key role in the Canadiens' winning the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
six times in 1971
1971 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
, 1973
1973 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1973 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens, a rematch of the 1971 championship series. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to two.-Paths to the Final:...
, 1976
1976 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
, 1977
1977 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1977 Stanley Cup Final championship series was contested by the Boston Bruins and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins were making their first appearance in the Final series since their loss in the 1974 Final. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to none,...
, 1978
1978 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1978 Stanley Cup Final championship series was contested by the Boston Bruins and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their third-straight appearance. The series was a rematch of the 1977 final...
, 1979
1979 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1979 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New York Rangers and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their fourth straight appearance. It was New York's first appearance since . The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win...
. Nicknamed "Pointu", Lapointe was famous for his practical jokes, sense of humor and powerful slapshot. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in 1982 and signed with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
the following season. He retired in 1984 following a series of injuries.
Following his retirement, Lapointe became general manager of the Longueuil Chevaliers
Longueuil Chevaliers
The Longueuil Chevaliers were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, playing in Longueuil, Quebec at Colisée Jean Béliveau. They were founded in 1982 and set a Canadian Hockey League record for the most successful season ever by an expansion franchise, going 37-29-4...
of 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...
, followed by a stint as associate coach with the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
. He later served as an assistant coach and later as a scout with the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
. He is currently coordinator of amateur scouting with the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, a position he has held since the franchise's inception.
Lapointe was inducted into 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 1993. In 884 NHL games, Lapointe recorded 171 goals and 451 assists for 622 points. He still holds the Montreal Canadiens' record for most goals in a season for a defenseman (28), and most goals for a rookie defenseman (15).
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 Junior Canadiens | OHA Ontario 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... |
51 | 11 | 27 | 38 | 147 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Houston Apollos Houston Apollos The Houston Apollos were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Houston, Texas. They played in the Central Hockey League from 1965 to 1969, and then from 1979 to 1981.... |
CHL | 65 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 120 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1968–69 | 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 1969–70 AHL season The 1969–70 AHL season was the 34th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Montreal Voyageurs became the second Canadian-based team in the league, and finished first overall in the regular season... |
Montreal Voyageurs | 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... |
57 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 92 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1970–71 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 107 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 34 | ||
| 1971–72 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 69 | 11 | 38 | 49 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1972–73 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 76 | 19 | 35 | 54 | 117 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 20 | ||
| 1973–74 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 71 | 13 | 40 | 53 | 63 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1974–75 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 88 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 1975–76 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 21 | 47 | 68 | 78 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | ||
| 1976–77 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 25 | 51 | 76 | 53 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1977–78 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 49 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 19 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 16 | ||
| 1978–79 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 69 | 13 | 42 | 55 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1979–80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 45 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 33 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 79 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 1981–82 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 47 | 1 | 19 | 20 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1982–83 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 64 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 43 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 45 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 894 | 171 | 451 | 622 | 893 | 123 | 26 | 44 | 70 | 138 | ||||
International play
Early into his NHL career, Lapointe was chosen to play in the historic 1972 Summit Series against the USSR. He would compete internationally again for Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
and the 1979 Challenge Cup
1979 Challenge Cup
The 1979 Challenge Cup was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of all-stars from the National Hockey League, held in New York City. It replaced the NHL's all-star festivities for the 1978–79 NHL season.The Challenge Cup, unlike its...
against the Soviets, which replaced that year's All-Star Game.
