Jack Laviolette
Encyclopedia
Jean-Baptiste "Jack" Laviolette (July 27, 1879 in Belleville
, Ontario
- January 10, 1960) was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
player who played nine seasons for the Montreal Canadiens
hockey club and was their first Captain, Coach, and General Manager.
Laviolette was one of the first francophone
stars of ice hockey. He was an outstanding scorer from the defenceman
position. But Laviolette's true place in hockey history has less to do with his scoring prowess and more to do with his role as the true founding organizer of the Canadiens hockey club. He was their first player, coach and general manager in their inaugural 1910 season.
With the formation of the National Hockey Association
(NHA) in December 1909, (replaced 7 years later by the NHL
), team/league owner Ambrose O'Brien asked Laviolette to put together a team made up of French Canadian players to play as the "Les Canadiens" franchise in Montreal. Laviolette completed the task in time for the NHA's inaugural season. Among those that would sign on to that first team would be future hall of famers Newsy Lalonde
, Didier Pitre
and the "Chicoutimi Cucumber," Georges Vezina
. The team he built would go on to be the most successful franchise in professional hockey.
for three seasons, and then return to Montreal to play for Montreal Shamrocks
in the 1908 and 1909 seasons.
He would then star for the new Canadiens franchise from 1910 until 1918 scoring 45 goals in 147 games, winning the Stanley Cup in 1916.
Laviolette lost his right foot in an automobile accident in 1919, ending his playing career. A benefit game for Laviolette was arranged at the Mount Royal Arena
in 1921. He was the guest of honour, and also refereed.
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- January 10, 1960) was a Canadian
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...
player who played nine seasons 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 ...
hockey club and was their first Captain, Coach, and General Manager.
Laviolette was one of the first francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
stars of ice hockey. He was an outstanding scorer from the defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
position. But Laviolette's true place in hockey history has less to do with his scoring prowess and more to do with his role as the true founding organizer of the Canadiens hockey club. He was their first player, coach and general manager in their inaugural 1910 season.
With the formation of the National Hockey Association
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...
(NHA) in December 1909, (replaced 7 years later by the 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...
), team/league owner Ambrose O'Brien asked Laviolette to put together a team made up of French Canadian players to play as the "Les Canadiens" franchise in Montreal. Laviolette completed the task in time for the NHA's inaugural season. Among those that would sign on to that first team would be future hall of famers Newsy Lalonde
Newsy Lalonde
Édouard Cyrille "Newsy" Lalonde was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League and a professional lacrosse player, regarded as one of hockey's and lacrosse's greatest players of the first half of the 20th century and one of sport's most colourful characters...
, Didier Pitre
Didier Pitre
Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was nicked named "Cannonball". One of the first players to join the Montreal Canadiens, Pitre's French-Canadian heritage helped give his line-mates the nickname the Flying Frenchmen, brought upon by his...
and the "Chicoutimi Cucumber," Georges Vezina
Georges Vézina
Joseph-Georges-Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association and nine in the National Hockey League , all with the Montreal Canadiens...
. The team he built would go on to be the most successful franchise in professional hockey.
Playing career
Laviolette would first play elite-level senior men's amateur hockey in 1904 for the Montreal Le National, famous for being one of the first men's teams composed of francophones. From 1905 onward, he would play as a professional, first with the Soo Indians of the International Professional Hockey LeagueInternational Professional Hockey League
The International Professional Hockey League was the first fully professional ice hockey league, operating from 1904 to 1907. It was formed by Jack 'Doc' Gibson, a dentist who played hockey throughout Ontario before settling in Houghton, Michigan. The IPHL was a five team circuit which included...
for three seasons, and then return to Montreal to play for Montreal Shamrocks
Montreal Shamrocks
The Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886, merging with the Montreal Crystals club in 1896. They won the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship in 1899 and 1900...
in the 1908 and 1909 seasons.
He would then star for the new Canadiens franchise from 1910 until 1918 scoring 45 goals in 147 games, winning the Stanley Cup in 1916.
Laviolette lost his right foot in an automobile accident in 1919, ending his playing career. A benefit game for Laviolette was arranged at the Mount Royal Arena
Mount Royal Arena
The Mount Royal Arena was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the corner of Mount Royal and St. Urbain Street. It was home of the National Hockey League Montreal Canadiens from 1920 to 1926, before moving to the then two year old Montreal Forum. It had a capacity of 6,000...
in 1921. He was the guest of honour, and also refereed.
Career statistics
- Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Regular season Playoffs Season Team 1903–04 Montreal Le National FAHL 6 8 0 8 0 1904–05 Michigan Soo Indians IPHL 24 15 0 5 24 1905–06 Michigan Soo Indians IPHL 17 15 0 15 28 1906–07 Michigan Soo Indians IPHL 19 10 7 17 34 1907–08 1907–08 ECAHA seasonThe 1907–08 Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association season lasted from December 29, 1907 until March 7, 1908. Teams played a ten game schedule. The Montreal Wanderers would win the league championship with a record of eight wins, two losses....
Montreal Shamrocks Montreal ShamrocksThe Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886, merging with the Montreal Crystals club in 1896. They won the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship in 1899 and 1900...
ECAHA 6 1 1 2 36 1908–09 Montreal Shamrocks Montreal ShamrocksThe Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886, merging with the Montreal Crystals club in 1896. They won the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship in 1899 and 1900...
ECHA 9 1 1 2 0 1909–10 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 11 3 0 3 26 1910–11 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 16 0 1 1 24 1911–12 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 17 7 2 9 41 1912–13 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 20 10 3 3 77 1913–14 1913–14 NHA seasonThe 1913–14 NHA season was the fifth season of the National Hockey Association . At the end of the regular season, a tie for first place necessitated a playoff to determine the championship. The Toronto Hockey Club defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6–2 in a two-game, total-goals playoff...
Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 20 7 9 16 30 2 0 1 1 0 1914–15 1914–15 NHA seasonThe 1914–15 NHA season was the sixth season of the National Hockey Association and played from December 26, 1914 until March 3, 1915. Each team played 20 games. The Ottawa Senators won the NHA championship in a two game, total goal playoff against the Montreal Wanderers...
Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 17 7 3 10 21 1915–16 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 18 8 3 11 62 2 0 0 0 6 St Cup 2 0 0 0 6 1916–17 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
NHA 17 7 3 10 21 2 0 0 0 0 St Cup 4 1 2 3 9 1917–18 Montreal Canadiens Montreal CanadiensThe 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 18 2 1 3 6 2 0 0 0 0 NHL National Hockey LeagueThe 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...
Regular season totals18 2 1 3 6 2 0 0 0 0
Awards and achievements
- 1904-05, 06-07 - First All-Star Right Wing, IPHL
- 1915–16 - Stanley CupStanley CupThe 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...
champion - 1960 - Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
- 1962 - Inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe 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...