Guy Lapointe

Guy Lapointe
Born	March 18, 1948 (1948-03-18) Montreal, QC, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	NHL Montreal Canadiens St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins AHL Montreal Voyageurs
National team	Canada
Playing career	1968–1984
Hall of Fame, 1993

Guy Gerard "Pointu" Lapointe (born March 18, 1948) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. He currently serves as Coordinator of Amateur Scouting with the NHL's Minnesota Wild.

Career

Along with defencemen Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, Lapointe was a member of the "Big Three" and played a key role in the Canadiens' winning the Stanley Cup six times in 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979. Nicknamed "Pointu", Lapointe was famous for his sense of humor, powerful slapshot and brutal body-checks. One of his most famous pranks is probably the Vaseline coated handshake with prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau as he was visiting the Canadiens' locker room. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 1982 and signed with the Boston Bruins the following season. He retired in 1984 following a series of injuries.

Following his retirement, Lapointe became general manager of the Longueuil Chevaliers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, followed by a stint as associate coach with the Quebec Nordiques. He later served as an assistant coach and later as a scout with the Calgary Flames. He is currently coordinator of amateur scouting with the Minnesota Wild, a position he has held since the franchise's inception.

Lapointe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993. In 884 NHL games, Lapointe recorded 171 goals and 451 assists for 622 points. He still holds the Montreal Canadiens' record for most goals in a season for a defenseman (28), and most goals for a rookie defenseman (15).

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1967–68	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		51	11	27	38	147		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Houston Apollos	CHL		65	3	15	18	120		3	1	0	1	6
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		1	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		5	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Montreal Voyageurs	AHL		57	8	30	38	92		8	3	5	8	6
1970–71	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		78	15	29	44	107		20	4	5	9	34
1971–72	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	11	38	49	58		6	0	1	1	0
1972–73	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		76	19	35	54	117		17	6	7	13	20
1973–74	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		71	13	40	53	63		6	0	2	2	4
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		80	28	47	75	88		11	6	4	10	4
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		77	21	47	68	78		13	3	3	6	12
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		77	25	51	76	53		12	3	9	12	4
1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		49	13	29	42	19		14	1	6	7	16
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	13	42	55	43		10	2	6	8	10
1979–80	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		45	6	20	26	29		2	0	0	0	0
1980–81	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		33	1	9	10	79		1	0	0	0	17
1981–82	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		47	1	19	20	72		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	St. Louis Blues	NHL		8	0	6	6	4		7	1	0	1	8
1982–83	St. Louis Blues	NHL		64	3	23	26	43		4	0	1	1	9
1983–84	Boston Bruins	NHL		45	2	16	18	34		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				894	171	451	622	893		123	26	44	70	138

International play

Early into his NHL career, Lapointe was chosen to play in the historic 1972 Summit Series against the USSR. Lapointe accepted the invitation regardless of the fact his wife would give birth to his first child (Guy Jr.), during the series, while the team was in the USSR. He would compete internationally again for Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup and the 1979 Challenge Cup against the Soviets, which replaced that year's All-Star Game.

External links

• Guy Lapointe's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Guy Lapointe's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Photo of Guy Lapointe