Larry Robinson

Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2 1951, in Winchester, Ontario, Canada) was a star player and a coach in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach of the New Jersey Devils.
== Playing career ==
He played Junior 'A' hockey with the Brockville Braves and Juniors with the Kitchener Rangers then turned professional, spending 1971 to 1973 with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League before making it to the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens.
Nicknamed "Big Bird" for his height (6'4", and 225 pounds) and his resemblance to Sesame Street's Big Bird which is due to his blond hair and size , Robinson was a big and strong defenceman yet highly mobile. He played 17 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens and another three seasons for the Los Angeles Kings, until his retirement after the 1992 season. Twice he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's most outstanding defenceman and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 1978 playoffs. Robinson was a dominant player whose talent and leadership helped lead the Canadiens to six Stanley Cups.
Larry Robinson was a member of Team Canada in the 1976, 1981 and 1984 Canada Cup tournaments and was an international All-Star team selection in the 1981 World Championships. During his career, he played in ten of the league's All-Star games and ended his 20-year career having scored 208 goals, 750 assists and 958 regular-season points as well as 144 points in 227 playoff games, a remarkable achievement for a defenceman.
In 1998, he was ranked number 24 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. The Canadiens retired Robinson's #19 jersey on November 19, 2007 before a 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
== Coaching ==
Following his retirement, Robinson was hired as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils in 1993. He was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 1995, the same year he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He left the Los Angeles team at the end of the 1998-99 season and signed on as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils once again. Named interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils on March 23, 2000, Robinson guided his team to the Stanley Cup. He stayed on as head coach for the next year and again guided the Devils to the finals, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. Robinson was fired during the 2001-02 season, but returned as an assistant coach just before the 2002-03 season.
When Pat Burns suffered a recurrence of cancer, Robinson again assumed the mantle of head coach on July 14, 2005. This stint came to an end on December 19, 2005, when Robinson resigned, citing stress and other health problems.
Robinson returned to the Devils prior to the 2007-08 season as an assistant coach under Brent Sutter.
==Career statistics==
===Playing career stats===
  	  	  	 	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
1969-70 	Kitchener Rangers 	OHA 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1970-71 	Kitchener Rangers 	OHA 	 	61 	12 	39 	51 	65 	 	4 	1 	2 	3 	5
1971-72 	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL 	 	74 	10 	14 	24 	54 	 	15 	2 	10 	12 	31
1972-73 	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL 	 	38 	6 	33 	39 	33 	 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
1972-73 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	36 	2 	4 	6 	20 	 	11 	1 	4 	5 	9
1973-74 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	78 	6 	20 	26 	66 	 	6 	0 	1 	1 	26
1974-75 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	80 	14 	47 	61 	76 	 	11 	0 	4 	4 	27
1975-76 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	80 	10 	30 	40 	59 	 	13 	3 	3 	6 	10
1976-77 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	77 	19 	66 	85 	45 	 	14 	2 	10 	12 	12
1977-78 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	80 	13 	52 	65 	39 	 	15 	4 	17 	21 	6
1978-79 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	67 	16 	45 	61 	33 	 	16 	6 	9 	15 	8
1979-80 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	72 	14 	61 	75 	39 	 	10 	0 	4 	4 	2
1980-81 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	65 	12 	38 	50 	37 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	2
1981-82 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	71 	12 	47 	59 	41 	 	5 	0 	1 	1 	8
1982-83 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	71 	14 	49 	63 	33 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	2
1983-84 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	74 	9 	34 	43 	39 	 	15 	0 	5 	5 	22
1984-85 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	76 	14 	33 	47 	44 	 	12 	3 	8 	11 	8
1985-86 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	78 	19 	63 	82 	39 	 	20 	0 	13 	13 	22
1986-87 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	70 	13 	37 	50 	44 	 	17 	3 	17 	20 	6
1987-88 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	53 	6 	34 	40 	30 	 	11 	1 	4 	5 	4
1988-89 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	74 	4 	26 	30 	22 	 	21 	2 	8 	10 	12
1989-90 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	64 	7 	32 	39 	34 	 	10 	2 	3 	5 	10
1990-91 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	62 	1 	22 	23 	16 	 	12 	1 	4 	5 	15
1991-92 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	56 	3 	10 	13 	37 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
2006-07 	New Jersey Devils 	Alumni 	 	1 	1 	2 	3 	4 	 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
AHL Totals	AHL Totals 	AHL Totals	 	112 	16 	47 	63 	87 	 	15 	2 	10 	12 	31
NHL Totals	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals	 	1383 	208 	750 	958 	793 	 	227 	28 	116 	144 	211
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Coaching career stats===
Team 	Year 	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season 	Post Season	Post Season	Post Season	Post Season
Team 	Year 	G 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	Pts 	Finish 	W 	L 	Win % 	Result
LA 	95/6 	82 	24 	40 	18 	- 	66 	6th in Pacific 	- 	- 	- 	-
LA 	96/7 	82 	28 	43 	11 	- 	67 	6th in Pacific 	- 	- 	- 	-
LA 	97/8 	82 	38 	33 	11 	- 	87 	2nd in Pacific 	0 	4 	.000 	Conference Quarter-Finalist
LA 	98/9 	82 	32 	45 	5 	- 	69 	2nd in Pacific 	- 	- 	- 	-
LA Total 	LA Total 	328 	122 	161 	45 	- 	289 	- 	0 	4 	.000 	1 Playoff Appearance
NJ 	99/00 	8 	4 	4 	0 	0 	8 	2<SUP>nd</SUP> in Atlantic	16 	7 	.696 	Won Stanley Cup
NJ 	00/1 	82 	48 	19 	12 	3 	111 	1<SUP>st</SUP> in Atlantic	15 	10 	.600 	Runner up
NJ 	01/2 	51 	21 	20 	7 	3 	52 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
NJ Total 	NJ Total 	141 	73 	43 	19 	6 	171 	- 	31 	17 	.646 	2 Playoff Appearances<BR>1 Stanley Cup
NJ 	05/6 	32 	14 	13 	0 	5 	33 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
NJ Total 	NJ Total 	32 	14 	13 	- 	5 	33 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Combined NJ Total	Combined NJ Total	173 	87 	56 	19 	11 	204 	- 	31 	17 	.646 	2 Playoff Appearances<BR>1 Stanley Cup
Total 	Total 	501 	209 	217 	64 	11 	493 	- 	31 	21 	.596 	3 Playoff Appearances<BR>1 Stanley Cup
==References==
==See also==
*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players
Category:Conn Smythe Trophy winners
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Los Angeles Kings coaches
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:New Jersey Devils coaches
Category:Norris Trophy winners
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Category:Nova Scotia Voyageurs players
Category:Kitchener Rangers alumni
Category:Brockville Braves alumni
Category:Retired in 1992