Pat LaFontaine

**Pat LaFontaine** (born Patrick Michael LaFontaine on February 22, 1965 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American former ice hockey center who played in the NHL for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers.

LaFontaine was drafted 3rd overall by the Islanders in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

## Playing Career

### Early Playing Career

As a youth, Pat played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Waterford. He began his junior career with the Verdun Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during the 1982–83 season.

In his only season in the QMJHL, Pat contributed 104 goals and 130 assists for Verdun. His 234 points was tops in the league and he was awarded the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the top scorer, out-dueling future NHL icon Mario Lemieux. His rookie season broke many records, including Guy Lafleur's 40-game point-scoring streak and Mike Bossy's 70 goals by a rookie

Other awards that Pat received that season were the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the regular season, the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, the Michel Bergeron Trophy as the Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Mike Bossy Trophy as the best professional prospect, and the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy as the Most sportsmanlike player. He was chosen as the CHL Player of the Year.

### Professional

On October 1, 1981, the New York Islanders traded Bob Lorimer and Dave Cameron to the Colorado Rockies for the Rockies' (later market rival New Jersey Devils') first round draft pick in 1983; Pat was selected by the Islanders in the first round as the third pick overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft with that pick.

After representing the United States in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, he joined the Islanders in time for the Stanley Cup Finals. His arrival was concurrent with the beginning of the end of the Islanders' dynasty, as the team was steeped deep in aging veterans.

The Islanders lost the finals that year to the Edmonton Oilers, ending the team's run of consecutive Stanley Cup championships at four. Pat had a strong performance, scoring two third-period goals during the Islanders' 5–2 loss to the Oilers in the fifth and deciding game of the series.

In the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs, Pat scored the winning goal in the fourth overtime period of the seventh and decisive game between the Islanders and Washington Capitals, known as the "Easter Epic".

The game was started on Saturday, April 18, and concluded just before 2 a.m. on the 19th, Easter Sunday. He later recalled: "It was the most memorable moment in my hockey life. Even today, wherever I go, people come up to me and start telling me where they were during the Easter Epic."

The Islanders continued to struggle; in 1989, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1974.

In the first game of the Islanders' next playoff series, in 1990, Pat suffered the first of many concussions, after a controversial, open-ice hit by James Patrick of the New York Rangers.

Pat fell on his head and was unconscious while being taken off the ice on a stretcher. The ambulance he took was delayed en route to the hospital by Ranger fans who rocked and pounded it as it left Madison Square Garden. He was lost for the remainder of the series.

The 1990–91 season was a successful season for Pat, but not the Islanders, who finished with a record of 25–45–10. Frustrated with his situation on Long Island, he turned down a four-year, $6 million contract offer and refused to report to the team for the start of the 1991–92 NHL season.

Three weeks into the season, on October 25, 1991, Pat was traded (along with Randy Wood) to the Buffalo Sabres for four players, including former first overall pick Pierre Turgeon. In only 57 games in 1991–92, he scored 46 goals and 93 points.

The following season, he recorded a personal-best and team-record 148 points (53 goals and 95 assists). The 148 points are also the most points scored by an American-born player in one season.

His play-making ability helped his linemate Alexander Mogilny set a team season record with 76 goals (as of 2015, both Pat's 95 assists, 148 points and Mogilny's 76 goals still stand as the Sabres' team records for a single season). He finished as runner-up to Mario Lemieux in the scoring race and earned a spot on the postseason NHL All-Star Second Team.

Pat was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lady Byng Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player.

In 1994–95, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplified the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

### Retirement

The 1996–97 season was the beginning of the end of Pat's career. In a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was hammered by Francois Leroux with a high hit to the head, knocking him out with a concussion, and resulted in post-concussion syndrome.

Pat was determined to return even though the doctors advised against such an attempt. Sabres management (in conjunction with team doctors and specialists) refused to clear him to return, and recommended he retire.

Still believing that he could play, Pat was traded to the New York Rangers in a cost-cutting measure for a second round draft choice in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and future considerations on September 29, 1997.

During his one season with the Rangers, he tied for the team lead in goals scored and recorded his 1,000th career NHL point.

In a game against the Ottawa Senators on March 16, 1998, Pat accidentally collided with teammate Mike Keane and suffered another concussion. He missed the remainder of the season and all of the next season, announcing his retirement formally on October 12, 1999.

Since 2001, the Pat LaFontaine Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Rangers-Islanders season series, with money paid by the losing team to the charity of Pat's choice.

On November 3, 2003, Pat was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Upon hearing the news, he said: "I am truly thrilled to receive this tremendous honor. Growing up in St. Louis, I always played for the love of the game and never dreamed this could ever lead to my being a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame."

He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in that same year.

On March 3, 2006, the Buffalo Sabres retired Pat's number 16 and was also inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2004. He was voted the 3rd greatest Buffalo Sabre in the team's 40-year history.

## Accolades

* Selected to five NHL All-Star Games: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993
* Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner: 1995
* NHL Second All-Star Team selection: 1993

## Post-NHL career

On June 7, 2006, the Islanders announced that Pat would return to the Islanders as Senior Advisor to the Owner; however, this was short-lived as he resigned in protest only six weeks later on July 18, 2006 (the same day that Neil Smith was fired by the Islanders).

In March 2006, Pat's #16 was retired by the Buffalo Sabres and raised to the rafters of the First Niagara Center (formerly HSBC Arena), joining other Sabre legends Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin & Rene Robert (a.k.a. The French Connection), Tim Horton and Danny Gare.

During the 2009-2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pat appeared in an NHL cross-promotional commercial for Honda (featuring Neal Broten & Mike Richter) constructing a pond hockey rink and playing a pick-up game with neighborhood children.

On November 13, 2013, Pat was announced to be the new President of Hockey Operations for the Buffalo Sabres. On March 1, 2014, he resigned his position as President of Hockey Operations with the club on Saturday after just over three months on the job to resume his previous role with the NHL.

As of 2010, he works as a commentator for MSG Network Rangers broadcasts.

### Philantrophy

In 1997, Pat founded the Companions in Courage Foundation, an organization that builds interactive game rooms in children's hospitals throughout North America.

In 2000, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society bestowed the Patriot Award on Pat in recognition of his contribution to military morale throughout his career.

In 2002, he was given an honorary GOAL! Award, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, for having overcome depression and lived in the community through volunteer work.

In April 2003, he was recognized with the International Humanitarian Award by the Gift of Life Foundation, an organization promoting the cure and treatment of children suffering from heart disease in third world countries.

In March 2004, Pat was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Detroit.

In March 2005, he was named recipient of the James Keller Award by The Christophers organization; since 1987, the Award has recognized individuals who have contributed in a meaningful way to the well-being of young people.

In 2007, LaFontaine was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.

The Heisman Trophy Trust recognized Pat with their Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2008. He joked that he never played football, and he never even went to college, but the Trust recognized him as an exemplary selfless individual, who gives of himself to improve the plight of those less fortunate or afflicted.

In November 2008, he participated in his sixth career Ironman Triathlon event in Panama City, FL. He swam 2.4 miles, rode a bike 112 miles and then ran a 26-mile marathon as a fundraiser for his charity.

In March 2012, he coached his son and a group of teenagers from Long Island, to the U-16 National Championship in Buffalo, New York. The Long Island Royals became just the second youth hockey team from Long Island to ever win a national championship. Their exploits were followed throughout the season by the NHL.com series, “Making of a Royal”.

Pat was recognized with a national Jefferson Award at a ceremony in Washington DC in June 2012; the Jefferson Awards are a prestigious national recognition honoring community service in America. He was recognized for his work with the Companions in Courage Foundation.

He was invited to the Vatican and participated in "Sport at the Service of Humanity: The First Global Conference" on "Faith & Sport" as a guest of Pope Francis in October of 2016.