# Sean Tallaire

Sean Michael Tallaire (October 3, 1973 – March 12, 2024) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the International Hockey League and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

## Career

Tallaire played college hockey at Lake Superior State University from 1992 to 1996. Tallaire was selected in the eight round, 202nd overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He was named the tournament MVP at the 1994 NCAA Championship Tournament, which was won by LSSU.
After college, Tallaire played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 with the Manitoba Moose, Grand Rapids Griffins, Cleveland Lumberjacks, Long Beach Ice Dogs, Utah Grizzlies, and Kansas City Blades. His best season came with the Grizzlies in 1999–2000, when he scored 31 goals and had 65 points. Aside from the IHL, Tallaire also had brief stints in the American Hockey League and Western Professional Hockey League.
In 2001, Tallaire went to Europe to play in Germany, joining the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL. After one season with the Roosters, he played three years with the ERC Ingolstadt, interrupted by a season with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers. He signed a one-year contract with the Kölner Haie prior to the 2006–07 season, in which he was having his best season offensively before tearing his ACL midway through the season. After his recovery, Kölner Haie offered him another one-year contract for the following season, in which the Sharks were league runners up. Talliare signed with Kölner's rival, Kassel Huskies and played two seasons with them.

## Personal life and death

Tallaire married Jennifer Sorenson in August 1997. Together they had two sons, Carter (b. 1998) and Chase (b. 2002). Tallaire died in Pflugerville, Texas on March 12, 2024, at the age of 50.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1992–93 | Lake Superior State University | NCAA | 43 | 26 | 26 | 52 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Lake Superior State University | NCAA | 45 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Lake Superior State University | NCAA | 41 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Lake Superior State University | NCAA | 40 | 32 | 18 | 50 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Manitoba Moose | IHL | 74 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 73 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Central Texas Stampede | WPHL | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | 56 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 68 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 1998–99 | Springfield Falcons | AHL | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Utah Grizzlies | IHL | 82 | 31 | 34 | 65 | 85 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2000–01 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 80 | 23 | 28 | 51 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Iserlohn Roosters | DEL | 60 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | ERC Ingolstadt | DEL | 52 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | ERC Ingolstadt | DEL | 52 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 54 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 2004–05 | Nürnberg Ice Tigers | DEL | 52 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 40 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16 |
| 2005–06 | ERC Ingolstadt | DEL | 45 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 2006–07 | Kölner Haie | DEL | 30 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Kölner Haie | DEL | 56 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 36 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| 2008–09 | Kassel Huskies | DEL | 52 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | Kassel Huskies | DEL | 26 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| DEL totals | DEL totals | DEL totals | 425 | 123 | 155 | 278 | 312 | 36 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 38 |

## Awards and honours

| Award | Year |
| All-CCHA Rookie Team | 1992–93 |
| All-NCAA All-Tournament Team | 1994 |
| All-CCHA First Team | 1995–96 |
| AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 1995–96 |