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.[citation needed] His grit and determination made him a fan favourite and he is still one of the most beloved all-time Panthers[citation needed] along with Scott Mellanby.
In the 1996–97 NHL season Laus set an 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 played another professional game. Eventually, Laus officially retired and moved back to Ontario.
Records
Holds the NHL record for most fighting majors in a season with 39, set during the 1996–97 season.
Florida Panthers team record: Most career penalty minutes (1,702)
Gary R. Roberts is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Renowned for his physical fitness during his career, Roberts has become a high performance trainer for players at all levels of the sport.
Emmanuel Legace is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender, who played most notably in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, and later the St. Louis Blues between 1998 and 2010. Legace also enjoyed spells with the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, and Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL. He finished his playing career for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, for whom he is the career leader in goaltending wins. Legace is the former goaltending coach for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.
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Wade William Belak was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman. He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). Belak was best known for his role as an enforcer.
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