Michel Larocque Explained

Michel Larocque
Position:Goaltender
Catches:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:185
Played For:Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Philadelphia Flyers
St. Louis Blues
Birth Date:April 6, 1952
Birth Place:Hull, Quebec, Canada
Death Place:Hull, Quebec, Canada
Career Start:1972
Career End:1985
Draft:6th overall
Draft Year:1972
Draft Team:Montreal Canadiens

Michel Raymond "Bunny" Larocque (April 6, 1952 – July 29, 1992) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League. He was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens.

Playing career

Larocque played junior hockey with the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1968 to 1972, and led the league in shutouts for the last three of those years. He was also one of the most penalized goalies, and was regularly involved in fights. In 1972, he was selected sixth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft. In 1973 he played with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League (AHL), his first taste of professional hockey. For his outstanding play, Larocque was awarded the Hap Holmes Memorial Award with teammate Michel Deguise, and was selected to the Second All-Star Team.

Larocque started his National Hockey League (NHL) career in 1974 with the Canadiens. That was the season that Ken Dryden, one of the top goalies in that era, sat out to complete his law degree. Larocque shared playing time during the season with Michel Plasse and Wayne Thomas, but was the starting goalie in the playoffs. Dryden returned in 1975, and Larocque settled down as his back-up, sharing four Vezina Trophy wins, in an era when the award was given to the principal goalies on the team allowing the fewest goals in the regular season. The first three were largely because of Dryden's all-star play. In 1977, Larocque led the NHL with a 2.09 goals against average, but with Dryden ahead of him in the Canadiens net, he only managed to play 26 games. The Canadiens won four Stanley Cups during that stretch, but Larocque's only action in the playoff was for one period in the 1979 playoffs; Dryden was in front of the nets the rest of the time. The Stanley Cup wins were in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979.

In 1979, Dryden retired. Larocque saw more action as a result, and won his fourth and final Vezina Trophy, sharing duties with Richard Sévigny and newly-acquired Denis Herron in 1981. Near the trade deadline during that season, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenceman Robert Picard. Larocque played 50 games the following season with a struggling Leafs team. Larocque was in net when the Buffalo Sabres scored an NHL record of 9 goals in one period in a 14-4 game. He was again traded, this time to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1983, in return for goaltender Rick St. Croix, and finished his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues in 1984 after being sold by the Flyers, who had settled on Pelle Lindbergh in goal. Larocque retired from hockey in 1985 after playing 13 games with the Peoria Rivermen in the International Hockey League (IHL).

Nickname

Larocque reputedly acquired the nickname "Bunny" as an infant. It was his mother's pet name for him which stuck for the rest of his life.

Retirement and death

After his playing career ended, he served as general manager of the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during the 1989–90 season and won QMJHL executive of the year for 1989–90. He was vice president of the QMJHL during the 1991–92 season and still held the position at time of his death.

He died of brain cancer at age 40 in his hometown of Hull, Quebec.

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
1967–68Ottawa 67'sOHA-Jr.42103209.14
1968–69Ottawa 67'sOHA-Jr.41902407.58
1969–70Ottawa 67'sOHA-Jr.51306018533.63114616253633.46
1970–71Ottawa 67'sOHA-Jr.56334518953.39
1971–72Ottawa 67'sOHA-Jr.55328718943.451887310295513.29
1972–73Nova Scotia VoyageursAHL47270511312.50137603602.84
1973–74Montreal CanadiensNHL27158214316902.89.9086243641802.97.909
1974–75Montreal CanadiensNHL25175314807433.00.891
1975–76Montreal CanadiensNHL22161312205022.46.907
1976–77Montreal CanadiensNHL26192415255342.09.910
1977–78Montreal CanadiensNHL30223417297712.67.896
1978–79Montreal CanadiensNHL34227419869432.84.88810020000.001.000
1979–80Montreal CanadiensNHL3917138225912533.32.8805413001112.20.923
1980–81Montreal CanadiensNHL28169316238213.03.881
1980–81 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL83324604005.22.85420175806.40.750
1981–82Toronto Maple LeafsNHL5010248264720704.69.862
1982–83Toronto Maple LeafsNHL163838356804.89.850
1982–83 Philadelphia FlyersNHL2011120804.00.857
1983–84Springfield IndiansAHL55323012104.18
1983–84St. Louis BluesNHL50503003106.20.811
1984–85Peoria RivermenIHL137337864103.13
NHL totals 312160894517,615978173.33.88214667593712.92.903

Web site: Larocque's stats . The Goaltender Home Page. 2017-08-04.

External links