Claude Larose (ice hockey, born 1942)

For other people named Claude Larose, see Claude Larose.

Claude Larose
Born	(1942-03-02) March 2, 1942 Hearst, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Minnesota North Stars St. Louis Blues
Playing career	1962–1978

Claude David Larose (born March 2, 1942 in Hearst, Ontario) is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 943 career NHL games for the Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars and St. Louis Blues. He also served as an assistant coach for the Hartford Whalers after his retirement. He won 6 Stanley Cups during his career 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1973 (as a player with Montreal), 2006 (as a Scout) with Carolina.

Prior to his joining the Montreal Canadiens, the team suffered from a lack of toughness. Claude Larose was one of those players Sam Pollock thought could add toughness without sacrificing speed and scoring and he was right. Over a 16-year career, 10 with the Canadiens, Larose scored 226 goals and added 257 assists for 483 points in 943 NHL games. He also had 887 career penalty minutes and led the Canadiens in penalties during the 1971 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Montreal upset both the defending champion Boston Bruins and the powerful Chicago Black Hawks. "We became the toughest team in the League in 1963–64, which dismayed the opposition," Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau wrote in his autobiography.

Statistics say some things about a player, but not everything. Claude Larose was instant chemistry for his linemates. Many players of that era had their best years while skating with Larose. Ralph Backstrom finished second in Montreal scoring in Larose's rookie year. Danny Grant won the Calder Memorial Trophy with Larose on his line. Playing on a line with Minnesota North Stars teammates Grant and Danny O'Shea, Larose scored the tying, final goal in the 1969 NHL All-Star Game.

Returning from an injury in 1974, Larose was thrown onto a line with the Mahovlich brothers, Frank and Peter, and scored four goals against Pittsburgh's Gary Inness. He got a hat trick the next game while playing the right wing with Jacques Lemaire and Steve Shutt. Paired with them again, he got two goals the following game.

"I think that's still a Canadiens' record, nine goals in three games," Larose said recently. "I'd just come back from the broken leg I suffered the year before. I started playing around Jan. 15. Yvan Cournoyer then got hurt and they put me in his place. A lot of people still remind me about that. We could not figure out what was happening. I'd shoot, they'd go in. We were playing for Scotty Bowman. You know, if he thought you were too hot, he'd put you on another line!

Today he is a pro scout for the Carolina Hurricanes. He is the father of NHL player Guy Larose.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1959–60	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		48	9	10	19	34		12	2	7	9	17
1960–61	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		46	36	27	63	108		5	5	0	5	31
1961–62	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		50	18	36	54	150		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		1	0	1	1	2		6	3	1	4	6
1962–63	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		4	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		49	19	24	43	42		3	1	0	1	2
1963–64	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		21	1	1	2	43		2	1	0	1	0
1963–64	Omaha Knights	CPHL		47	27	22	49	105		8	8	6	14	17
1964–65	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		68	21	16	37	82		13	0	1	1	14
1965–66	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		64	15	18	33	67		6	0	1	1	31
1966–67	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		69	19	16	35	82		10	1	5	6	15
1967–68	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		42	2	9	11	28		12	3	2	5	8
1967–68	Houston Apollos	CPHL		10	6	7	13	32		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		67	25	37	62	106		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		75	24	23	47	109		6	1	1	2	25
1970–71	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		64	10	13	23	90		11	1	0	1	10
1971–72	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		77	20	18	38	64		6	2	1	3	23
1972–73	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		73	11	23	34	30		17	3	4	7	6
1973–74	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		39	17	7	24	52		5	0	2	2	11
1974–75	Montréal Canadiens	NHL		8	1	2	3	6		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	St. Louis Blues	NHL		56	10	17	27	38		2	1	1	2	0
1975–76	St. Louis Blues	NHL		67	13	25	38	48		3	0	0	0	0
1976–77	St. Louis Blues	NHL		80	29	19	48	22		4	1	0	1	0
1977–78	St. Louis Blues	NHL		69	8	13	21	20		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				943	226	257	483	887		97	14	18	32	143

See also

• Stanley Cup
• List of Stanley Cup champions

External links

• Claude Larose career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Profile at hockey-reference.com