#120 - Pat LaFontaine

Pat LaFontaine (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #120)

Adjusted Stats

1983-1984   NYI       15 GP   10 goals   5 assists     15 points     0.99 PPG
1984-1985   NYI       69 GP   15 goals   28 assists   44 points     0.64 PPG
1985-1986   NYI       67 GP   24 goals   18 assists   42 points     0.63 PPG
1986-1987   NYI       82 GP   33 goals   27 assists   60 points     0.73 PPG
1987-1988   NYI       77 GP   40 goals   38 assists   78 points     1.02 PPG
1988-1989   NYI       81 GP   38 goals   36 assists   74 points     0.92 PPG
1989-1990   NYI       76 GP   46 goals   44 assists   90 points     1.18 PPG
1990-1991   NYI       77 GP   37 goals   40 assists   78 points     1.01 PPG
1991-1992   Buf         58 GP   42 goals   43 assists   84 points     1.44 PPG
1992-1993   Buf         82 GP   44 goals   79 assists   123 points   1.49 PPG
1993-1994   Buf         16 GP   5 goals     12 assists   17 points     1.07 PPG
1994-1995   Buf         38 GP   21 goals   26 assists   48 points     1.26 PPG
1995-1996   Buf         76 GP   39 goals   50 assists   89 points     1.17 PPG
1996-1997   Buf         13 GP   2 goals     6 assists     8 points       0.65 PPG
1997-1998   NYR      67 GP   27 goals   45 assists   72 points     1.08 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1983-1984   NYI       16 GP    3 goals     5 assists     8 points      0.50 PPG
1984-1985   NYI       9 GP      1 goal       2 assists    2 points       0.25 PPG
1985-1986   NYI       3 GP      1 goal       0 assists    1 point        0.29 PPG
1986-1987   NYI       14 GP    4 goals     6 assists    11 points     0.77 PPG
1987-1988   NYI       6 GP      3 goals     4 assists     7 points      1.13 PPG
1989-1990   NYI       2 GP      0 goals     1 assist      1 point        0.42 PPG
1991-1992   Buf         7 GP      7 goals     3 assists    10 points     1.37 PPG
1992-1993   Buf         7 GP      2 goals     8 assists    10 points     1.41 PPG
1994-1995   Buf         5 GP      2 goals     2 assists     4 points      0.71 PPG

Career - 894 GP, 423 goals, 497 assists, 922 points, 1.03 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (89-90); 79 assists (92-93); 123 points (92-93); 1.49 PPG (92-93)
Avg. (14 seasons) - 63 GP, 30 goals, 35 assists, 65 points, 1.03 PPG
Peak Avg. (88-96) - 63 GP, 34 goals, 41 assists, 75 points, 1.20 PPG, 0 Cups

Playoff Career - 69 GP, 23 goals, 31 assists, 54 points, 0.78 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (91-92); 8 assists (92-93); 11 points (86-87); 1.41 PPG (92-93)

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup

When I was young and watching NHL hockey games regularly, I always felt that the legend of Pat LaFontaine was overblown. I remembered him tearing up the league as a Sabre in 1993, and some of his more memorable playoff moments as well, like his 4th-overtime goal against Washington when he was still with the Islanders. But it always seemed as if LaFontaine was in the press box watching on, with the announcers telling me about how much he was missed. How great could a guy be if he seemed to be never playing?

Only now do I understand the tragedy of LaFontaine's career, and his place on the list of "what-if" careers. LaFontaine was the first star that we know of to be beset by concussions, even before Eric Lindros. His career was derailed at the age of 28 when LaFontaine was coming off his finest season (44 goals and 123 points). After his magical 1992-1993 year, in which he earned 2nd-team honours, LaFontaine would play more than 40 games just twice in his remaining five years, and was forced to retire by the time he was 32.

We didn't know as much about concussions then as we do now...LaFontaine was an unfortunate "pioneer", if you will, along with Brett Lindros, in educating the hockey community about the perils of brain injuries. Seeing the rash of concussions to star players like Sidney Crosby, Brad Richards and Eric Staal right now, I fear that the epidemic of concussions will only continue to get worse as the speed of the game increases, the players get bigger, and the NHL continues to look the other way when it comes to headshots.

It's too bad that LaFontaine is so associated with concussions now. I didn't realize it at the time, but he had blossomed into a supremely talented center. LaFontaine was a little similar to Pierre Turgeon in that his point totals were a little higher than his actual value to this team, but they were still very impressive. It's fitting that LaFontaine was traded for Turgeon, and both of the centers' careers took off when they joined their new teams. LaFontaine had 42 goals in only 58 games in his first season with the Sabres, before finishing second to Mario Lemieux in scoring in 1992-1993.

Like Turgeon, LaFontaine couldn't ever really lead his team anywhere noteworthy in the postseason, although he does have the famous fourth-overtime winner to his credit. As the seasons went on and the concussions piled up, LaFontaine seemed destined to continue to miss huge chunks of every season. But he had one last season of health, in 1997-1998 with the New York Rangers, scoring 72 points and 67 games and reminding everyone of what a talented player he could be. Unfortunately, LaFontaine soon realized that his brain was in no shape to continue playing, and abruptly announced his retirement at 32.

It's one of the great tragic careers of the NHL, right up there with Eric Lindros. If there is value to LaFontaine beyond the points he put up, it's in warning future generations of how dangerous a game hockey can be.