John LeClair
Encyclopedia
John Clark LeClair is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former 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...

 left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...

 who played 16 seasons 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...

 (NHL) for 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 ...

, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

. He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993 but he had his most productive seasons while with Philadelphia, scoring 50 goals three straight seasons - the first American-born player to do so - and being a member of the Legion of Doom
Legion of Doom (ice hockey)
The Legion of Doom was a forward line for the Philadelphia Flyers who played together between 1995 and 1997 comprising center 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...

 line.

Montreal Canadiens

LeClair was drafted by 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 ...

 with the 33rd pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
1987 NHL Entry Draft
The 1987 NHL Entry Draft was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1986–87 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.-Selections...

 after graduating from Bellows Free Academy
Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans
Bellows Free Academy is a high school, grades 9-12, in St. Albans, Vermont, USA. BFA-St. Albans is the largest secondary school in Franklin county, Vermont. There were approximately 1,200 students in attendance as of the 2005-2006 school year....

 (B.F.A.) High School in St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans, Vermont
Places named St. Albans, Vermont:*St. Albans , Vermont, town in Franklin County, Vermont, established in 1763**St. Albans Raid, 1864*St. Albans , Vermont, city in Franklin County, Vermont, established in 1902...

. One of the most highly recruited hockey players in New England, Leclair put his NHL aspirations on hold to attend the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...

 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
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

-winning team in 1993, where he scored two overtime game-winning goals during the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals
1993 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1993 Stanley Cup Final series was contested by the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens to decide the NHL championship for the 1992–93 season. It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings, and the 34th for Montreal, their first since the 1989 Final. The Canadiens won the...

.

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

 and Gilbert Dionne
Gilbert Dionne
Gilbert Dionne is a retired 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.Dionne was drafted 81st overall by the Montreal...

 to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in exchange for Mark Recchi
Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...

 and Philadelphia's 3rd round choice in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft
1995 NHL Entry Draft
The 1995 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta. The drafting order was now set partially by a lottery system whereby teams would not be guaranteed first pick if they finished last. Instead, a draft lottery was instituted in which the winner of the lottery could move...

. LeClair gelled immediately with new line-mate Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...

 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"
Legion of Doom (ice hockey)
The Legion of Doom was a forward line for the Philadelphia Flyers who played together between 1995 and 1997 comprising center 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...

 line, centered by Lindros and Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League and eight in the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...

 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
Tim Kerr
Timothy E. Kerr is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.-Playing career:...

. Following the 1997–98 NHL season, LeClair had two consecutive 40 goal seasons. LeClair played for the Flyers for 10 seasons and was one of the most productive players in franchise history, scoring 333 career goals and an additional 35 in the playoffs, statistics good enough for top 10 in the history of Flyers goal scorers.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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 and teammate Tony Amonte
Tony Amonte
Anthony Lewis Amonte is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Calgary Flames, all of the National Hockey League...

's contracts to create cap space. Rumors had LeClair going to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

 or perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. Instead, LeClair signed a two year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

 on August 15, 2005. LeClair had a fairly successful season in Pittsburgh during the 2005–06 NHL season, finishing third on the team in scoring as he passed the 400-goal mark and had his ninth 50+ point season. After struggling early in the 2006–07 season, LeClair was released by the Penguins on December 14, 2006 after only 21 games.

Other information

LeClair is president of the John LeClair Foundation which awards grants to non-profit Vermont organizations that sponsor programs for children. In addition, he and former teammate Chris Therien
Chris Therien
Christopher Bowie Therien , affectionately known as Bundy, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 12 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars. He is currently the color commentator on Philadelphia Flyers radio broadcasts on 610 WIP...

 operate a shipping logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...

 company together called LT Lines (LeClair-Therien Lines). He currently divides his time between Haverford, Pennsylvania
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Haverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,...

 and his hometown of St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans, Vermont
Places named St. Albans, Vermont:*St. Albans , Vermont, town in Franklin County, Vermont, established in 1763**St. Albans Raid, 1864*St. Albans , Vermont, city in Franklin County, Vermont, established in 1902...

. LeClair was also inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Awards

  • ECAC Second All-Star Team (1990–91)
  • NHL First All-Star Team
    NHL All-Star Team
    The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...

     (1994–95, 1997–98)
  • NHL Second All-Star Team
    NHL All-Star Team
    The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...

     (1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99)
  • NHL Plus/Minus Award (1996–97, 1998–99)
  • Played in NHL All-Star Game
    National Hockey League All-Star Game
    The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...

     (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
  • World Cup
    World Cup of Hockey
    The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...

     All-Star Team (1996)
  • Olympic Tournament All-Star Team (2002)

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
1985–86 Bellows Free Academy
Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans
Bellows Free Academy is a high school, grades 9-12, in St. Albans, Vermont, USA. BFA-St. Albans is the largest secondary school in Franklin county, Vermont. There were approximately 1,200 students in attendance as of the 2005-2006 school year....

HS 22 41 28 69 14
1986–87 Bellows Free Academy HS 23 44 40 84 14
1987–88 University of Vermont
Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey
The Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Vermont. The Catamounts are a member of Hockey East. They play at the Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont...

ECAC
ECAC Hockey League
ECAC Hockey is one of the five NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conferences that compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. The conference used to be affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference, a consortium of over 300 colleges in the eastern United States. This relationship ended in...

31 12 22 34 62
1988–89 University of Vermont ECAC 18 9 12 21 40
1989–90 University of Vermont ECAC 10 10 6 16 38
1990–91 University of Vermont ECAC 33 25 20 45 58
1990–91 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 ...

NHL
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...

10 2 5 7 2 3 0 0 0 0
1991–92 Montreal Canadiens NHL 59 8 11 19 14 8 1 1 2 4
1991–92
1991–92 AHL season
The 1991–92 AHL season was the 56th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns from divisions into three divisions, creating the new Atlantic division. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Fredericton Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season...

Fredericton Canadiens
Fredericton Canadiens
The Fredericton Canadiens, or the 'Baby Habs' were a professional ice hockey team in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Canadiens played their home games at the Aitken Centre...

AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

8 7 7 14 10 2 0 0 0 4
1992–93 Montreal Canadiens NHL 72 19 25 44 33 20 4 6 10 14
1993–94 Montreal Canadiens NHL 74 19 24 43 32 7 2 1 3 8
1994–95 Montreal Canadiens NHL 9 1 4 5 10
1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 37 25 24 49 20 15 5 7 12 4
1995–96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 51 46 97 64 11 6 5 11 6
1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 50 47 97 58 19 9 12 21 10
1997–98 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 51 36 87 32 5 1 1 2 8
1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 43 47 90 30 6 3 0 3 12
1999–00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 40 37 77 36 18 6 7 13 6
2000–01 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 16 7 5 12 0 6 1 2 3 2
2001–02 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 25 26 51 30 5 0 0 0 2
2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 35 18 10 28 16 13 2 3 5 10
2003–04 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 75 23 32 55 51 18 2 2 4 8
2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

NHL 73 22 29 51 61
2006–07 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 21 2 5 7 12
NHL totals 967 406 413 819 501 154 42 47 89 94

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1988
1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual...

United States
United States men's national junior ice hockey team
The United States men's national junior ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in the United States. The team represents the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship....

WJC 7 4 2 6 12
1989
1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 13th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its eleventh, and ultimately final, championship...

United States WJC 7 6 4 10 12
1996
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....

United States WCH
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...

7 6 4 10 6
1998
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...

United States OG
Ice hockey at the Olympic Games
Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics...

4 0 1 1 0
2002
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...

United States OG 6 6 1 7 2
Junior int'l totals 14 10 6 16 24
Senior int'l totals 17 12 6 18 8

All-Star Games

Year Location   G A P
1996 Boston
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

0 1 1
1997
47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills...

San Jose
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

2 1 3
1998
48th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18, 1998.-The International Showdown:...

Vancouver
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

1 0 1
1999
49th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 24, 1999, at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay, Florida, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.-"North America" and the World:...

Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

0 0 0
2000
50th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game was part of the 1999–2000 NHL season, and took place in Toronto's Air Canada Centre on February 6, 2000....

Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

0 0 0
All-Star totals 3 2 5

External links

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