Paul Laus
Encyclopedia
Paul Laus is a Canadian
former professional
ice hockey
defenceman who played in the National Hockey League
for the Florida Panthers
.
, Ontario
, Laus was a Junior B
standout with the St. Catharines Falcons
before joining the OHL
. He spent three years with the Hamilton Steelhawks
/Niagara Falls Thunder
franchise and was selected 37th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins
at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft
. He spent his first three years as a pro in the IHL and ECHL
, including a stint with the short-lived Albany Choppers
.
The rugged blueliner was claimed by the Florida Panthers
in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft
. His solid defensive work and willingness to take on the toughest players in the league made him a valuable player on the club as it set an NHL record for expansion teams with 83 points. Two years later, he scored two goals and was a workhorse in 21 games as the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup
finals. Laus continued to be an enforcer and team leader through the end of the 2000–01 season and was the only person to play in all of the club's first eight seasons. His grit and determination made him a fan favorite and he is still one of the most beloved all-time Panthers along with Scott Mellanby
.
In the 1996-97 NHL season
Laus set a NHL record with 39 fighting majors in 77 games while also setting career highs in assists, points, plus/minus, and penalty minutes.
However, injuries limited Laus to only 70 games over his last two seasons. After his latest wrist injury in 2002, he never would play another professional game. Eventually, Laus officially retired and moved back to Ontario.
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...
former professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
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 who played 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...
for 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...
.
Career
Born in BeamsvilleBeamsville, Ontario
The community of Beamsville is part of the town of Lincoln in the province of Ontario in Canada. It is located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and lies within the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula...
, 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....
, Laus was a Junior B
Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. As of 2007, the league has become a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League...
standout with the St. Catharines Falcons
St. Catharines Falcons Jr. B
The St. Catharines Falcons are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Falcons play their home games inside Jack Gatecliff Arena in downtown St. Catharines.-History:The...
before joining the OHL
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....
. He spent three years with the Hamilton Steelhawks
Hamilton Steelhawks
The Hamilton Steelhawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1984 to 1988. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, and played at Copps Coliseum.-History:...
/Niagara Falls Thunder
Niagara Falls Thunder
The Niagara Falls Thunder was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1988 to 1996. The team was based in Niagara Falls, Ontario.-History:...
franchise and was selected 37th overall by 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...
at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft
1989 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:...
. He spent his first three years as a pro in the IHL and ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
, including a stint with the short-lived Albany Choppers
Albany Choppers
The Albany Choppers was an independent professional ice hockey team competing in the International Hockey League during the 1990–1991 season. The franchise originally existed as the Fort Wayne Komets, whose owner, David Welker, opted to move his franchise to Albany, New York and its brand-new...
.
The rugged blueliner was claimed by 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...
in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft
1993 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1993 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 24, 1993, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1993–94 season, the Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.-Rules:...
. His solid defensive work and willingness to take on the toughest players in the league made him a valuable player on the club as it set an NHL record for expansion teams with 83 points. Two years later, he scored two goals and was a workhorse in 21 games as the Panthers reached 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...
finals. Laus continued to be an enforcer and team leader through the end of the 2000–01 season and was the only person to play in all of the club's first eight seasons. His grit and determination made him a fan favorite and he is still one of the most beloved all-time Panthers along with Scott Mellanby
Scott Mellanby
Scott Edgar Mellanby is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He primarily played right wing throughout his career, on occasion shifting over to the left side. He is the son of former Hockey Night in Canada producer Ralph Mellanby. He is currently the assistant coach of the St...
.
In the 1996-97 NHL season
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...
Laus set a NHL record with 39 fighting majors in 77 games while also setting career highs in assists, points, plus/minus, and penalty minutes.
However, injuries limited Laus to only 70 games over his last two seasons. After his latest wrist injury in 2002, he never would play another professional game. Eventually, Laus officially retired and moved back to Ontario.
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 | St. Catharines Falcons St. Catharines Falcons Jr. B The St. Catharines Falcons are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Falcons play their home games inside Jack Gatecliff Arena in downtown St. Catharines.-History:The... |
OHA-B Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. As of 2007, the league has become a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League... |
40 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 56 | |||||||
| 1987–88 | Hamilton Steelhawks Hamilton Steelhawks The Hamilton Steelhawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1984 to 1988. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, and played at Copps Coliseum.-History:... |
OHL 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.... |
56 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 171 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | ||
| 1988–89 | Niagara Falls Thunder Niagara Falls Thunder The Niagara Falls Thunder was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1988 to 1996. The team was based in Niagara Falls, Ontario.-History:... |
OHL | 49 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 225 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 56 | ||
| 1989–90 | Niagara Falls Thunder | OHL | 60 | 13 | 35 | 48 | 231 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 71 | ||
| 1990–91 | Albany Choppers Albany Choppers The Albany Choppers was an independent professional ice hockey team competing in the International Hockey League during the 1990–1991 season. The franchise originally existed as the Fort Wayne Komets, whose owner, David Welker, opted to move his franchise to Albany, New York and its brand-new... |
IHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |||||||
| 1990–91 1990–91 ECHL season The 1990–91 ECHL season was the third season of the ECHL. In 1990, the league welcomed three new franchises: Cincinnati Cyclones, Louisville Icehawks, and Richmond Renegades. The Virginia Lancers franchise was renamed the Roanoke Valley Rebels. The 11 teams played 64 games in the schedule. The... |
Knoxville Cherokees Knoxville Cherokees The Knoxville Cherokees were an East Coast Hockey League team based in Knoxville, Tennessee.-History:The franchise was formed in 1988 along with the ECHL... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
20 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 83 | |||||||
| 1990–91 | Muskegon Lumberjacks Muskegon Lumberjacks The Muskegon Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Muskegon, Michigan.-Facts:-Season-by-Season record:Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses/Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in... |
IHL | 35 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 103 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | ||
| 1991–92 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 75 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 248 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 70 | ||
| 1992–93 | Cleveland Lumberjacks Cleveland Lumberjacks The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Facts:The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Facts:... |
IHL | 76 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 427 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | ||
| 1993–94 | 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 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... |
39 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 109 | |||||||
| 1994–95 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 37 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 138 | |||||||
| 1995–96 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 78 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 236 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 62 | ||
| 1996–97 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 77 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 313 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1997–98 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 77 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 293 | |||||||
| 1998–99 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 75 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 218 | |||||||
| 1999–00 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 77 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 172 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 66 | |||||||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 45 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 157 | |||||||
| 9 years | Totals | NHL | 530 | 14 | 58 | 72 | 1702 | 30 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 74 | ||