John LeClair

Last updated
John LeClair
John LeClair Philly HOF.jpg
LeClair in November 2013
Born (1969-07-05) July 5, 1969 (age 55)
St. Albans, Vermont, U.S.
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 33rd overall, 1987
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1991–2006
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Salt Lake City Team competition

John Clark LeClair (born July 5, 1969) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1991 to 2006. With the Flyers, LeClair became the first American-born player to score 50 goals in three consecutive NHL seasons while playing on the Legion of Doom line with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg. LeClair was a member of the Montreal Canadiens' Stanley Cup winning team in 1993.

Contents

Early life

LeClair was born on July 5, 1969, in St. Albans, Vermont, a town close to the Canada–US border. He is the son of Robert "Butch" LeClair, a manager of a paint store, and Beverly (Clark), a surgical nurse. [1] LeClair has three older sisters, Mary Kay, Nancy, and Susan, and a younger brother, Joseph. [2]

Although familiar with hockey, LeClair's father Butch never actually played the sport himself. Until the 1960s, there was no organized hockey in the Saint Albans area. Despite this, LeClair took notice and asked his father for a pair of hockey skates at age six. Butch recalls how the kids in the area first played:

At first, they played in an old railroad shed. Then they got a bunch of people who signed a note and built Coote Field Arena. It was just a metal shack with a lunch bar and an old tractor to scrape the ice. It was kind of primitive, but it worked very well. It produced some good hockey. [2]

Richard Benoit, the father of John's friend Jeremy, created a homemade rink for the kids in his backyard by flooding his volleyball court. Benoit added boards around the edge and installed lights so they could play at night. There was also a shack complete with a heater for the kids to go to warm up if needed. [2]

High school and college years

When LeClair was a freshman at Bellows Free Academy, he didn't make the very competitive high school team. So, he continued to play in community leagues. In his sophomore year, LeClair made the team and earned attention. "We'd be dumping the puck in (during a line change), and there would be John, in the corner on his knees and hands, five against one, somehow getting the puck out of the corner," recalls Luke Cioffi, a teammate and childhood friend of LeClair's. [2]

Soon, the young LeClair was attracting attention. College scouts began to take notice when he participated as a junior in Hockey Night in Boston, a showcase for young talent. LeClair decided to pursue college, and he was accepted at the University of Vermont (UVM). [2] At UVM, LeClair's college career was hampered by injuries. Over the course of his sophomore and junior years, he appeared in only 28 games. After missing the first month of his senior season due to meningitis, he finished the season strong with 25 goals and 20 assists in only 33 games. [2]

Playing career

Montreal Canadiens

LeClair was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens with the 33rd pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft after graduating from Bellows Free Academy (B.F.A.) High School in St. Albans, Vermont. One of the most highly recruited hockey players in New England, LeClair put his NHL aspirations on hold to attend the University of Vermont on a full scholarship. His fans didn't have to wait long to see him score in his first collegiate game. After the final game of his senior year he signed with the Canadiens and, less than a week later, played and scored in his first NHL game. As a member of the Canadiens, LeClair was on the Stanley Cup-winning team in 1993, where he scored two overtime game-winning goals during the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals.

Philadelphia Flyers and the Legion of Doom

On February 9, 1995, a Montreal team desperate to salvage a difficult season traded LeClair, along with Éric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Mark Recchi and Philadelphia's third round choice in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft (Martin Hohenberger). LeClair gelled immediately with new line-mate Eric Lindros and quickly became one of the NHL's most feared goal scorers.

With the Flyers, he played left-wing on the famed "Legion of Doom" line, centered by Lindros and Mikael Renberg on right-wing. The trio was not only effective at scoring but they were also a dominant physical presence on the ice. In 1998, LeClair became the first American-born NHL player to record three consecutive 50-goal seasons and the second Flyer to do so, behind Tim Kerr. Following the 1997–98 NHL season, LeClair had two consecutive 40-goal seasons.

During his first five seasons with the Flyers, LeClair was named to the season-ending NHL All-Star team, twice to the first team and three times to the second team. That is currently the highest total among retired players eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame who have not been inducted.

LeClair played for the Flyers for 10 seasons and was one of the most productive players in franchise history, scoring 333 goals and an additional 35 in the playoffs, statistics good enough to place him in the top 10 Flyers' career goal scorers.

Pittsburgh Penguins

LeClair with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006 John LeClair (1).jpg
LeClair with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006

On July 23, 2005, as a result of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement which finally introduced a salary cap to the NHL, the Flyers were forced to part ways with their longtime alternate captain, and they bought out LeClair's contract to create cap space. [3] Rumors had LeClair going to the Boston Bruins or perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead, LeClair signed a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 15, 2005. [4] LeClair had a successful season in Pittsburgh during the 2005–06 season, finishing fourth on the team in scoring as he passed the 400-goal mark and had his ninth 50+ point season. [5]

LeClair struggled in the first quarter of the 2006–07 season, scoring only two goals and five assists through 21 games. [6] On December 14, 2006, he and the Penguins agreed to a mutual release from his contract. [7] LeClair retired following the season. [8]

Other information

LeClair signing autographs at Dick's Sporting Goods in 2014. John Leclair.jpg
LeClair signing autographs at Dick's Sporting Goods in 2014.

LeClair is president of the John LeClair Foundation which awards grants to non-profit Vermont organizations that sponsor programs for children. He currently divides his time between Haverford Township, Pennsylvania and his hometown of St. Albans, Vermont. LeClair was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame in 2014.

In June 2023, LeClair was hired by the Flyers as a special advisor to hockey operations. [9]

Awards and honors

College

AwardYear
All-ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team 1987–88 [10]
All-ECAC Hockey Second team 1990–91 [11]

Professional

AwardYear
Stanley Cup champion 1993
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy 1995
NHL first All-Star team 1995, 1998
NHL second All-Star team 1996, 1997, 1999
Bobby Clarke Trophy 1997, 1998
NHL Plus/Minus Award 1997, 1999
NHL All-Star 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

International

AwardYear
World Cup All-Star team 1996
Olympic Tournament All-Star team 2002

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1985–86 Bellows Free Academy HS-VT 2241286914—————
1986–87Bellows Free AcademyHS-VT2344408414—————
1987–88 University of Vermont ECAC 3112223462—————
1988–89 University of VermontECAC189122140—————
1989–90 University of VermontECAC101061638—————
1990–91 University of VermontECAC3325204558—————
1990–91 Montreal Canadiens NHL 10257230000
1991–92 Montreal CanadiensNHL59811191481124
1991–92 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 877141020004
1992–93 Montreal CanadiensNHL721925443320461014
1993–94 Montreal CanadiensNHL741924433272138
1994–95 Montreal CanadiensNHL914510—————
1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL37252449201557124
1995–96 Philadelphia FlyersNHL82514697641165116
1996–97 Philadelphia FlyersNHL8250479758199122110
1997–98 Philadelphia FlyersNHL825136873251128
1998–99 Philadelphia FlyersNHL7643479030630312
1999–00 Philadelphia FlyersNHL82403777361867136
2000–01 Philadelphia FlyersNHL167512061232
2001–02 Philadelphia FlyersNHL822526513050002
2002–03 Philadelphia FlyersNHL35181028161323510
2003–04 Philadelphia FlyersNHL7523325551182248
2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL7322295161—————
2006–07 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL2125712—————
NHL totals96740641381950115442478994

International

YearTeamEventGPGAPtsPIM
1988 United States WJC 742612
1989 United StatesWJC7641012
1996 United States WCH 764106
1998 United States OLY 40110
2002 United StatesOLY66172
Junior totals141061624
Senior totals17126188

All-Star Games

YearLocation GAP
1996 Boston 011
1997 San Jose 213
1998 Vancouver 101
1999 Tampa Bay 000
2000 Toronto 000
All-Star totals325

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Flyers</span> National Hockey League team in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells Fargo Center in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, an indoor arena they share with the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Part of the 1967 NHL expansion, the Flyers are the first of the expansion teams in the post-Original Six era to win the Stanley Cup, victorious in 1973–74 and again in 1974–75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Lindros</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1973)

Eric Bryan Lindros is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Lindros was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals prior to being chosen first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. He refused to play for the Nordiques and was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 1992 in exchange for a package of players and draft picks including Peter Forsberg. During his OHL career, Lindros led the Generals to a Memorial Cup victory in 1990. Prior to being drafted in 1991, Lindros captured the Red Tilson Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the OHL, and also was named the CHL Player of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Recchi</span> Canadian ice hockey player, coach (b. 1968)

Mark Louis Recchi is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger and current assistant coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 67th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and played a total of 22 seasons in the NHL for the Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. Recchi won the Stanley Cup three times in his playing career: in 1991 with the Penguins, in 2006 with the Hurricanes, and in 2011 with the Bruins. During the 2010-11 season, Recchi was the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1980s. Subsequently, in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals, Recchi became the oldest player ever to score in a Stanley Cup Finals game at age 43. On June 26, 2017, in his fourth year of eligibility, Recchi was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Hextall</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1964)

Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and executive. He was most recently the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hextall played 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders. He served as assistant general manager for the Flyers for one season, and was promoted to general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, replacing Paul Holmgren on May 7, 2014. He held this position for four and a half seasons. Before this he served as assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Kings, who won the Stanley Cup in 2012.

Jean Noël Éric Desjardins is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993 and headlined the Flyers defence for over a decade.

Daniel Peter Quinn is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former professional golfer. Quinn played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Quinn was born in Ottawa, Ontario, but grew up in Brockville, Ontario.

Mikael Bo Renberg is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and eight in the Swedish Elite League.

Gilbert Marc Dionne is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played six seasons in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 until 1995–96. He is the younger brother of Hockey Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who is nineteen years his senior. He now resides in Tavistock, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Giroux</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1988)

Claude Giroux is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Florida Panthers. Selected by the Flyers 22nd overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Giroux was named the Flyers' team captain in 2013, and became the longest-tenured captain in team history. Giroux played his 1,000th game with the Flyers on March 17, 2022. Giroux has been known to be a very flexible offensive player; capable of playing comfortably on both center and wing throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Clarke</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1949)

Robert Earle Clarke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire 15-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team. Popularly known as Bobby Clarke during his playing career and as Bob Clarke since retiring as a player, Clarke is acknowledged by some as being one of the greatest hockey players and captains of all time. He was captain of the Flyers from 1973 to 1979, winning the Stanley Cup with them in both 1974 and 1975. He was again captain of the Flyers from 1982 to 1984 before retiring. A three-time Hart Trophy winner and 1987 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Clarke was rated number 24 on The Hockey News' list of The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time in 1998. In 2017 Clarke was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

The Legion of Doom was a forward line for the Philadelphia Flyers who played together between 1995 and 1997 comprising centre Eric Lindros, left winger John LeClair and right winger Mikael Renberg. They were given this name not only for their offensive play, but also their ability to dominate games physically; each of the three were six foot two or taller and weighed over 230 pounds. The name was coined by journeyman Flyers centre Jim Montgomery and popularized by Flyers announcer Gene Hart.

The 1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers 28th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers made the playoffs for the first time since 1989, also winning their division for the first time since 1987, and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing in six games to the New Jersey Devils.

The 1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers 30th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep.

The 1993–94 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 27th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). For the fifth consecutive season, the Flyers failed to make the playoffs.

The 1995–96 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers 29th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). In the Spectrum's final season the Flyers repeated as Atlantic Division champs and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Flyers lost in the Conference Semifinals to the Florida Panthers in six games.

The 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 32nd season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games.

The 1994–95 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 86th season of play and the last full season in the Montreal Forum before moving to the new Molson Centre. For the first time since the 1969–70 season, the Canadiens failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 NHL Winter Classic</span> Outdoor National Hockey League game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The 2012 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on January 2, 2012, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fifth edition of the Winter Classic, it matched the New York Rangers against the Philadelphia Flyers, two Atlantic Division rivals; the Rangers won by a score of 3–2. The original plan was to have the contest at the Philadelphia Eagles' home, Lincoln Financial Field; however, the Eagles played there the day before, and the NHL needed at least a week of preparation time to build the ice rink onto the field. The game was broadcast by NBC in the United States and by CBC and RDS in Canada. NBC's announcers were Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, with Pierre McGuire handling sideline duties and Bob Costas as the studio host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Lindros trade</span> Hockey player trade

The Eric Lindros trade was the culmination of a holdout by Eric Lindros from the Quebec Nordiques of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Nordiques selected Lindros in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft with the first overall selection, but Lindros refused to play for them. After holding out from Quebec for a year, the Nordiques agreed to two trades involving Lindros at the onset of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, one with the Philadelphia Flyers and one with the New York Rangers. An arbitrator ruled in favour of the Flyers on June 30, 1992.

References

  1. ↑ Robert LeClair Obituary Legacy.com
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Powell, Phelan (1999). "Chapter 2: Home, Sweet Home". In Reginald, Stephen (ed.). John LeClair profile . Ice Hockey Legends. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN   0-7910-5016-5.
  3. ↑ "Flyers buy out LeClair, Amonte". cbc.ca. July 23, 2005. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  4. ↑ "PENGUINS SIGN FREE AGENT LEFT WING JOHN LECLAIR". NHL.com. August 15, 2005. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  5. ↑ "LECLAIR IS SEVENTH AMERICAN TO SCORE 400 NHL GOALS". NHL.com. March 28, 2006. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Penguins drop John LeClair - UPI.com". UPI. December 14, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Penguins, LeClair agree to mutual release, part ways". ESPN.com. December 14, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  8. ↑ Smith, Brian (June 22, 2023). "LeClair, Sharp eager to boost Flyers development". Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Flyers name John LeClair Special Advisor to Hockey Operations". Philadelphia Flyers. June 15, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  10. ↑ "ECAC All-Rookie Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  11. ↑ "ECAC All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winner of the NHL Plus/Minus Award
1997
1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy
1997, 1998 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.