Larry Pleau
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Winslow Pleau is former senior vice president and General Manager of the St. Louis Blues. He is also a former
NHL
player and head coach.
from 1963 to 1964 before moving to Canada where he spent the next three seasons with the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the OHA
from 1964 to 1967.
in Grenoble
as well as the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Stockholm
.
He spent the 1968–69 season with the Jersey Devils of the Eastern Hockey League
, becoming the league's rookie of the year.
He then played three seasons for the Montreal Canadiens
from 1970-1972. He helped Montreal to the Stanley Cup
championship in 1971. He was included on the team winning picture and has a cup ring, but did not play enough games to be engraved on the Stanley cup. After being selected off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the summer of 1972, he instead choose to sign a contract with his hometown New England Whalers of the upstart World Hockey Association
. Pleau became one of the Whalers' early stars and appeared in the 1973, 1974 and 1975 WHA All Star Game as the Whalers representative. He was also a member of the United States team at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup
although he did not appear in the tournament itself. He played seven seasons for the Whalers before retiring in 1979.
from 1980-1983. He then coached the Binghamton Whalers
of the AHL
from 1984–1988. He was re-hired by the Hartford Whalers
in 1987 and coached them until 1989.
as assistant general manager of player development in 1989, and was later promoted to assistant general manager and director of player personnel. He stayed with the Rangers for eight years, including the Rangers' Cup-winning season in 1993–94.
He moved to the Blues in 1997 as general manager. While Pleau presided over the Blues winning the President's Trophy in 1999–2000, the Blues steadily declined over the next few seasons, culminating in finishing dead last in the league in 2005–06, missing the playoffs for the first time in 25 years and for only the fourth time in franchise history. Following the season, the Blues were sold to Dave Checketts
. Pleau kept his job as general manager, but had to give most of his powers over hockey operations to John Davidson.
Pleau was also assistant general manager of the silver medal-winning American hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics
, and was general manager of Team USA during the 2003 and 2004 IIHF World Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey
.
Pleau stepped down as General Manager of the St Louis Blues on July 1, 2010 with Doug Armstrong taking his place
On July 1, 2010, Pleau was named a Senior Advisor Consultant with the St. Louis Blues after serving 13 years as the club's General Manager, the longest tenure in franchise history.
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
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...
player and head coach.
High school and junior career
Larry Pleau played for Lynn English High School Bulldogs in Lynn, MassachusettsLynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
from 1963 to 1964 before moving to Canada where he spent the next three seasons with the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the OHA
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
from 1964 to 1967.
Professional career
Pleau was one of the top American hockey players in the late 1960s and early 1970s, playing for Team USA at the 1968 Winter Olympics1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
in Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
as well as the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
He spent the 1968–69 season with the Jersey Devils of the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
, becoming the league's rookie of the year.
He then played three seasons 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 ...
from 1970-1972. He helped Montreal to 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...
championship in 1971. He was included on the team winning picture and has a cup ring, but did not play enough games to be engraved on the Stanley cup. After being selected off waivers by 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...
in the summer of 1972, he instead choose to sign a contract with his hometown New England Whalers of the upstart 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...
. Pleau became one of the Whalers' early stars and appeared in the 1973, 1974 and 1975 WHA All Star Game as the Whalers representative. He was also a member of the United States team at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
although he did not appear in the tournament itself. He played seven seasons for the Whalers before retiring in 1979.
Coaching career
He was the Head Coach of the Hartford WhalersHartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
from 1980-1983. He then coached the Binghamton Whalers
Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...
of the 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...
from 1984–1988. He was re-hired by the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
in 1987 and coached them until 1989.
Front office career
Pleau joined the New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
as assistant general manager of player development in 1989, and was later promoted to assistant general manager and director of player personnel. He stayed with the Rangers for eight years, including the Rangers' Cup-winning season in 1993–94.
He moved to the Blues in 1997 as general manager. While Pleau presided over the Blues winning the President's Trophy in 1999–2000, the Blues steadily declined over the next few seasons, culminating in finishing dead last in the league in 2005–06, missing the playoffs for the first time in 25 years and for only the fourth time in franchise history. Following the season, the Blues were sold to Dave Checketts
Dave Checketts
David W. Checketts is an American businessman, founder and chairman SCP Worldwide, sits on the board of JetBlue Airways, and is the owner of the soccer club Real Salt Lake.- Career :...
. Pleau kept his job as general manager, but had to give most of his powers over hockey operations to John Davidson.
Pleau was also assistant general manager of the silver medal-winning American hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, and was general manager of Team USA during the 2003 and 2004 IIHF World Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey
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...
.
Pleau stepped down as General Manager of the St Louis Blues on July 1, 2010 with Doug Armstrong taking his place
On July 1, 2010, Pleau was named a Senior Advisor Consultant with the St. Louis Blues after serving 13 years as the club's General Manager, the longest tenure in franchise history.
Awards and achievements
- Eastern Hockey League Rookie of the Year (1969)
- 1971 Stanley CupStanley CupThe 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...
championship (MontrealMontreal CanadiensThe 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 ...
) - Played in the 1973, 1974 and 1975 WHA All Star Game
- 19871986–87 AHL seasonThe 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss...
Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award winner - Coach of the year (BinghamtonBinghamton WhalersThe Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...
) AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe 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... - 1994 Stanley CupStanley CupThe 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...
championship (NYRNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
) as Assistant General ManagerGeneral managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:... - United States Hockey Hall of FameUnited States Hockey Hall of FameThe United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
, 2000