Serge Lajeunesse

Last updated
Serge Lajeunesse
Serge Lajeunesse action shot.jpg
Born (1950-06-11) June 11, 1950 (age 73)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
NHL draft 12th overall, 1970
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 19701976

Serge Lajeunesse (born June 11, 1950) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played 103 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers between 1970 and 1974.

Contents

Playing career

Juniors

Lajeunesse was born in Montreal, Quebec. He started playing hockey in his hometown of Montreal with the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Ontario Hockey Association. He scored 22 points in combination with 172 penalty minutes in his first season with the team and helped them win the Memorial Cup. The following season in 1969–70, Lajeunesse scored 29 points and saw his penalty minutes decrease almost by half to 87 on the season and again helped the team win their second consecutive Memorial Cup. The Detroit Red Wings drafted him with their first pick, 12th overall, in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft.

Professional

Lajeunesse started off in Detroit's farm team, the Fort Worth Wings of the Central Hockey League. He only played in 12 games before being brought up to the Red Wings on November 12, 1970 against the St. Louis Blues. In the remaining 62 games of the 1970–71 NHL season, Lajeunesse recorded 55 penalty minutes, recorded four assists, and scored his only NHL goal. After the Wings failed to reach the playoffs again that year, Lajeunesse was re-assessed and sent back down to the minors.

The following season saw Lajeunesse move back and forth in the Wings' organization. He spent time with the Tidewater Wings of the American Hockey League and Fort Worth, while suiting up for seven games in Detroit. He contributed 20 penalty minutes in those seven games without scoring a point and finished the 1971–72 season back in Fort Worth where he helped with a short playoff run. He continued playing in the minor leagues with Tidewater (now renamed the Virginia Wings) in 1972–73 before being called back to Detroit to fill in for injuries. Lajeunesse played in 28 NHL games that year and ended with 1 assist to go with 26 penalty minutes.

Lajeunesse was traded on May 15, 1973 to the Philadelphia Flyers for Rick Foley. He started off in the Flyers' farm system and would retire there. Lajeunesse played six more NHL games with Philadelphia in the following two seasons. He helped his AHL team the Richmond Robins reach the playoffs in three consecutive seasons (1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76), but failed to help them get past the second round. Lajeunesse retired from hockey in 1976.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1967–68Montreal BeaversQJAHL4051419
1968–69 Montreal Junior Canadiens OHA 54220221721414519
1968–69 Montreal Junior Canadiens M-Cup 814519
1969–70 Montreal Junior CanadiensOHA5422729871608822
1969–70 Montreal Junior CanadiensM-Cup12391221
1970–71 Detroit Red Wings NHL 6213455
1970–71 Fort Worth Wings CHL 1215621
1971–72 Detroit Red WingsNHL700020
1971–72 Tidewater Wings AHL 26471126
1971–72 Fort Worth WingsCHL368111953702216
1972–73 Detroit Red WingsNHL2801126
1972–73 Virginia Wings AHL3971623691325723
1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers NHL10000
1973–74 Richmond Robins AHL752817459650552
1974–75 Philadelphia FlyersNHL50002
1974–75 Richmond RobinsAHL661118295871234
1975–76 Richmond RobinsAHL57717244230002
AHL totals2635775132291283121531
NHL totals103145103

Awards

Preceded by Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick
1970
Succeeded by

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