Normand Léveillé | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | January 10, 1963||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
Weight | 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb) | ||
Position | Left wing | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for | Boston Bruins | ||
NHL draft | 14th overall, 1981 Boston Bruins | ||
Playing career | 1981–1982 |
Normand "Norm" Léveillé (born January 10, 1963) is a Canadian former professional hockey left winger. He played one season and one month in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, before his career was cut short at age 19 by a brain aneurysm suffered during a game at the Pacific Coliseum, which left him unable to walk. [1] After he recovered, Léveillé devoted his energies to therapy for others with disabling conditions. He is the founder and president of the Centre Normand-Léveillé at Drummondville in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec. [2] [3] [4] His story is told in Un arrêt en plein vol by Thérèse Desjardins (2005). [5] [6]
Léveillé was born in Montreal, Quebec. As a youth, he played in the 1975 and 1976 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Montreal. [7] He was drafted in the first round, 14th overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. He was a highly touted prospect coming out of the QMJHL after a 101-point season in his last year with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. In his rookie year with the Bruins, he scored 33 points in 60 games.
On October 23, 1982, after the first period in a game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia during his second season with the Bruins, Léveillé complained of feeling dizzy and having pains in his shoulder. As the trainers began tending to him, he lost consciousness. He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors diagnosed a brain aneurysm. [8] Léveillé was rushed into emergency surgery in an effort to save his life. After surgery, he was comatose for three weeks and remained hospitalized for an additional three weeks. He eventually recovered enough to walk again, but at the age of 19, his promising career as an NHL player was over. Doctors confirmed that his aneurysm was caused by a congenital condition and was not triggered by an on-ice incident.
In 1995, the Boston Bruins invited Léveillé to the closing ceremonies of the Boston Garden, where he was allowed to skate on the Garden ice one last time. Bruins captain Ray Bourque helped escort Léveillé around the ice surface. [9]
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1979–80 | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 60 | 24 | 12 | 36 | 39 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | ||
1980–81 | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 72 | 55 | 46 | 101 | 46 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 8 | ||
1981–82 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 66 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 75 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — |
Daniel Hector Bouchard is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Quebec Nordiques, and original Winnipeg Jets.
Joseph Romeo Steve Penney is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Penney played with the Montreal Canadiens and original Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League.
Alain R. Gabriel Côté is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and inline hockey player.
Eric Nickulas is an American former professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, and Chicago Blackhawks between 1999 and 2006.
Benoît Robert Pouliot is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers. Pouliot was originally drafted by the Wild fourth overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
Joseph Juneau is a Canadian former professional hockey player and engineer, born in Pont-Rouge, Quebec. He played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens.
Yan Pavol Stastny is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey centre. He comes from the Slovak Stastny ice hockey family, and is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Šťastný. His uncles Anton and Marián Šťastný also played in the NHL, and his brother Paul Stastny.
Andrew John Hilbert is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and the Minnesota Wild.
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.
Jonathan Girard is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who played for the Boston Bruins of the NHL. Girard was born in Rawdon, Quebec and raised in Joliette, Quebec.
Peter W. Douris is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1985 to 1998.
Réjean M. "Reggie" Lemelin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and coach. Lemelin played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins. He is perhaps best known for leading the Bruins over the Montreal Canadiens for the first time since 1943, a span of 45 years and 18 series, in the 1988 playoffs. After his playing career, Lemelin spent 13 years as a goaltending coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, who had originally drafted him into the NHL.
Guillaume Latendresse is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Lantendresse also played for the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators.
Vincent Joseph Riendeau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his time in the National Hockey League, which lasted from 1987 to 1995, Riendeau played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and the Boston Bruins. Riendeau was the first Canadian and former NHL player to sign with a professional hockey team in the Russian Superleague. As of January 2019) he has been the director of goalie development for the Canadiens.
Robert Charles Beers is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is a radio commentator on Boston Bruins broadcasts on the 98.5 The Sports Hub Bruins radio network and is an occasional contributor to NESN Bruins and College Hockey broadcasts. Beers played Division 1 College Hockey at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. He is one of many former Black Bear players who went on to play in the NHL.
Normand Joseph Gilles Dupont is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward.
Kristopher Todd Vernarsky is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 17 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins between 2003 and 2004. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2002 to 2011, was spent in various minor leagues. Internationally Vernarsky played for the United States at two World Junior Championships.
Phillip Danault is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 26th overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Danault has also previously played for the Montreal Canadiens.
Jean-François Sauvé is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres and Quebec Nordiques.
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to players less than 12 years old. The tournament raises funds for the local Patro Roc-Amadour foundation, and is operated mostly by volunteers, with a few staff. The event takes place each year in February at Videotron Centre, and previously spent 56 seasons at Quebec Coliseum. As of 2018, the event has showcased the talent of over 1,200 future professionals in the National Hockey League or the World Hockey Association.