Jean Ratelle

Joseph Gilbert Yvon "Jean" Ratelle (born October 3, 1940 in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec) is a former Canadian player and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. It has often been said of Jean Ratelle that he was so consistently effective at a high level of play day in and day out that he has been overlooked by some as one of the greatest to have played the game.
==Playing Career==
A product of the New York Rangers organization, a term utilized in the days prior to the NHL's Entry Draft, Ratelle's hockey career almost ended when he suffered a serious back injury at age 23 and had to undergo major spinal cord surgery. He recovered to become a regular with the Rangers from 1963 until 1975 -- his greatest success coming with his linemates Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert in the so-called "GAG line" (which stood for Goal A Game) and was the perennial scoring leader for the Rangers between 1968 and 1973 when the team was a powerhouse.
Ratelle was poised to beat out Boston Bruins' legend Phil Esposito for the scoring title in 1972 before he lost fifteen games due to an injury. He came back for the Stanley Cup finals against Boston to lead his team. Only Esposito, Bobby Orr and John Bucyk had before then had scored as many points in league history as Ratelle had managed in his shortened season. His 109 points that season remained a Rangers' scoring record until 2006, when Jaromir Jagr broke the mark.
In November 1975, Ratelle was traded with teammates Brad Park and Joe Zanussi in a blockbuster deal to the Boston Bruins (ironically, for Esposito, and for Carol Vadnais). Ratelle finished strongly that year for his second 100-point campaign. On March 21, 1976, he played his 1,000th game against the Montreal Canadiens. He starred for several more seasons for Boston, gaining admiration for his slick passing, skill at faceoffs and all-around excellent play, retiring a Bruin after the 1981 season. He served for several years thereafter as an assistant coach for the Bruins.
Remembered as a gentlemanly player (perennially in the running for the Lady Byng sportsmanship award), Ratelle played centre ice in the NHL for twenty-one seasons, accumulating 1267 points on 491 goals and 776 assists. At the time of his retirement, he was the league's sixth all-time leading scorer. While he never played on a team that won the Stanley Cup, Ratelle was a member of the 1972 Team Canada squad that defeated the Soviet Union in the first-ever Summit Series.
In 1985, Jean Ratelle was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with Bernie Parent and Bert Olmstead.
==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
1958–59 	Guelph Biltmores 	OHA 	 	54 	20 	31 	51 	11 	 	10 	5 	4 	9 	2
1959–60 	Guelph Biltmores 	OHA 	 	48 	39 	47 	86 	15 	 	5 	3 	5 	8 	4
1960–61 	Guelph Royals 	OHA 	 	47 	40 	61 	101 	10 	 	14 	6 	11 	17 	6
1960–61 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	3 	2 	1 	3 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1961–62 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	31 	4 	8 	12 	4 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1962–63 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	48 	11 	9 	20 	8 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1962–63 	Baltimore Clippers	AHL 	 	20 	11 	8 	19 	0 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0
1963–64 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	15 	0 	7 	7 	6 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1963–64 	Baltimore Clippers	AHL 	 	57 	20 	26 	46 	2 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1964–65 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	54 	14 	21 	35 	14 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1964–65 	Baltimore Clippers	AHL 	 	8 	9 	4 	13 	6 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1965–66 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	67 	21 	30 	51 	10 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1966–67 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	41 	6 	5 	11 	4 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	2
1967–68 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	74 	32 	46 	78 	18 	 	6 	0 	4 	4 	2
1968–69 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	75 	32 	46 	78 	26 	 	4 	1 	0 	1 	0
1969–70 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	75 	32 	42 	74 	28 	 	6 	1 	3 	4 	0
1970–71 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	78 	26 	46 	72 	14 	 	13 	2 	9 	11 	8
1971–72 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	63 	46 	63 	109 	4 	 	6 	0 	1 	1 	0
1972–73 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	78 	41 	53 	94 	12 	 	10 	2 	7 	9 	0
1973–74 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	68 	28 	39 	67 	16 	 	13 	2 	4 	6 	0
1974–75 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	79 	36 	55 	91 	26 	 	3 	1 	5 	6 	5
1975–76 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	13 	5 	10 	15 	2 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1975–76 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	67 	31 	59 	90 	16 	 	12 	8 	8 	16 	4
1976–77 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	78 	33 	61 	94 	22 	 	14 	5 	12 	17 	4
1977–78 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	80 	25 	59 	84 	10 	 	15 	3 	7 	10 	0
1978–79 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	80 	27 	45 	72 	12 	 	11 	7 	6 	13 	2
1979–80 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	67 	28 	45 	73 	8 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0
1980–81 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	47 	11 	26 	37 	16 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	1281 	491 	776 	1267 	276 	 	123 	32 	66 	98 	24
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Gallery==
23Mar1969-Cheevers_Green_NYR.jpg|Gerry Cheevers, Ted Green and #19 Jean Ratelle, March 23, 1969.
5May1972-Orr_trophy_winners.jpg|1972 award winners Tony Esposito, Jean Ratelle, Bobby Orr, Ken Dryden.
Category:Born in 1940
Category:Baltimore Clippers players
Category:Bill Masterton Trophy winners
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Guelph Biltmores alumni
Category:Guelph Royals alumni
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Lady Byng winners
Category:Lester Pearson Award winners
Category:NHL players with 100 point seasons
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers players
Category:Retired in 1981
Category:1972 Team Canada players