François Lacombe is a retired Canadian professional 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

Defenceman (ice hockey)

Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

.

Professional hockey career

Lacombe 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...

 with the Oakland Seals, Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

 and Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

. He spent seven seasons, the majority of his career, in the World Hockey Association

World Hockey Association

The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...

 with the Quebec Nordiques

Quebec Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...

 (six seasons) and Calgary Cowboys

Calgary Cowboys

The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...

 (one season).

Lacombe played a total of 78 regular season NHL games, scoring two goals and adding 17 assists. He also appeared in 3 playoff games with Oakland in the 1969 Stanley Cup Playoffs, tallying one assist. Meanwhile, Lacombe played in 440 WHA games, scoring 38 goals and adding 139 assists. He appeared in 54 Avco Cup playoff games in the WHA, scoring five goals and tallying ten assists.

In 1970 Lacombe was traded to the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 along with California's first draft pick in 1971 (they choose Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur

Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...

) for Ernie Hicke

Ernie Hicke

Ernest Allan "Bubble" Hicke is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Hicke started his National Hockey League career with the Oakland Seals in 1970. He also played for the Atlanta Flames, New York Islanders, Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings. He left the NHL after the 1978 season...

 and Montreal's first round pick. The trade is considered one of the worst of all time.

Minor hockey

Lacombe is now coaching in Châteauguay with the Châteauguay Midget AAA Patriotes.
He was arrested on March 12, 2008, after allegedly throwing a garbage can at a player on an opposing team sparking a bench clearing brawl. The charges were later dropped.http://www.ruefrontenac.com/sports/1-hockey/751-vachet-hockey-mineur

External links