Guy Lapointe

This article is about the ice hockey player. For the fictional character, see Tusk (2014 film).

Guy Lapointe
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1993
Born	(1948-03-18) March 18, 1948 Montreal, QC, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
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

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 humour, 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 the Chief Amateur scout 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 defenceman (28), and most goals for a rookie defenceman (15). His number (#5) was retired by the Canadiens on November 8, 2014. Since the #5 is already retired on behalf of Bernie Geoffrion, they will both share the honour. He is the father of three children: Guy Jr., Stephanie and Jordan. His son, Guy Jr., is also a media figure as he is a captain and head of media relations with the Quebec provincial police.

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1965–66	Verdun Jr. Maple Leafs	QJHL	37	7	13	20	96	—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Verdun Jr. Maple Leafs	QJHL	—	—	—	—	—	12	1	1	2	14
1967–68	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA-Jr.	51	11	27	38	147	11	1	6	7	40
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	1	0	0	0	2	—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Houston Apollos	CHL	65	3	15	18	120	3	1	0	1	6
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

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