John LeClair

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Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 233 lb (106 kg)
NHL Team F. Teams	Pittsburgh Penguins Montreal Canadiens Philadelphia Flyers
Nationality	United States
Born	July 5, 1969, St. Albans, VT, USA
NHL Draft	33rd overall, 1987 Montreal Canadiens
Pro Career	1991 – present

John Clark LeClair (born July 5, 1969 in St. Albans, Vermont) is an American professional ice hockey player. He played left wing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, who demoted him to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on December 2, 2006.

Contents 1 Playing career 2 Awards 3 Records 4 Career statistics 5 International play 6 External links

[edit] Playing career

LeClair was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens with the 33rd pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft after graduating from the University of Vermont. As a member of the Canadiens LeClair was on the Stanley Cup-winning team in 1993, where he scored two overtime game-winning goals during the Stanley Cup Finals. During the 1994-95 NHL season he was traded, along with fellow teammates Eric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne to Philadelphia for Mark Recchi. He has played on the U.S. Olympic hockey team twice and has had three consecutive 50-goal seasons in the NHL. He was named to the Olympic Tournament All-Star Team after posting a tournament-best six goals for silver medalist Team USA at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games

LeClair played for the Philadelphia Flyers for 10 seasons. While with the Flyers he played left-wing on the famed "Legion of Doom" line, with Mikael Renberg on right-wing and centered by Eric Lindros. The trio was not only effective at scoring but they were also a devastating physical presence on the ice. In 1998, LeClair became the first American-born NHL player to record three consecutive 50-goal seasons and the second Flyer to do so, behind Tim Kerr. Following the 1997-98 NHL season, LeClair had two consecutive 40 goal seasons. LeClair was one of the most productive players in the history of the Flyers franchise scoring 382 career goals and an additional 42 in the playoffs, marks good enough for top 10 in the history of Flyers goal scorers.

On July 23, 2005, as a result of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and the salary cap that came along with it, the Flyers were forced to part ways with their longtime alternate captain. His contract was bought out, as well as the one of fellow teammate Tony Amonte. Rumors had LeClair going to the Boston Bruins or perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead, LeClair signed a two year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 15, 2005. It is rumored that friend and former teammate Mark Recchi recruited LeClair to join him in Pittsburgh. LeClair had a fairly successful season in Pittsburgh during the 2005-06 NHL season.

After 2 straight games of being a healthy scratch on November 30, 2006 LeClair was waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins.[1] After no other NHL team claimed him and took on his contract, he was demoted to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on December 2, 2006. [2]

John is president of the John LeClair Foundation which awards grants to non-profit Vermont organizations that sponsor programs for children.

[edit] Awards

Leclair won the Bud Light Plus-Minus Award in 1996-97 with the Philadelphia Flyers as the first player to win the award with a +/- rating of plus 44 and again with the Flyers in 1998-99 with a rating of plus 36.

[edit] Records

[edit] Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987-88	University of Vermont	ECAC		31	12	22	34	62		-	-	-	-	-
1988-89	University of Vermont	ECAC		18	9	12	21	40		-	-	-	-	-
1989-90	University of Vermont	ECAC		10	10	6	16	38		-	-	-	-	-
1990-91	University of Vermont	ECAC		33	25	20	45	58		-	-	-	-	-
1990-91	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		10	2	5	7	2		3	0	0	0	0
1991-92	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		59	8	11	19	14		8	1	1	2	4
1991-92	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL		8	7	7	14	10		2	0	0	0	4
1992-93	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		72	19	25	44	33		20	4	6	10	14
1993-94	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		74	19	24	43	32		7	2	1	3	8
1994-95	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		9	1	4	5	10		-	-	-	-	-
1994-95	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		37	25	24	49	20		15	5	7	12	4
1995-96	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	51	46	97	64		11	6	5	11	6
1996-97	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	50	47	97	58		19	9	12	21	10
1997-98	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	51	36	87	32		5	1	1	2	8
1998-99	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		76	43	47	90	30		6	3	0	3	12
1999-00	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	40	37	77	36		18	6	7	13	6
2000-01	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		16	7	5	12	0		6	1	2	3	2
2001-02	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	25	26	51	30		5	0	0	0	2
2002-03	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		35	18	10	28	16		13	2	3	5	10
2003-04	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		75	23	32	55	51		18	2	2	4	8
2005-06	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		73	22	29	51	61		-	-	-	-	-
2006-07	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		16	1	5	6	12		-	-	-	-	-
NHL totals				962	405	413	818	501		154	42	47	89	94

Stats as of November 14, 2006

[edit] International play

Olympic medal record
Men's Ice Hockey
Silver	2002 Salt Lake City	Ice Hockey

[edit] External links

• John LeClair at HockeyDB

Preceded by: Chris Pronger	Winner of the NHL Plus/Minus Award 1999	Succeeded by: Chris Pronger
Preceded by: Vladimir Konstantinov	Winner of the NHL Plus/Minus Award 1997	Succeeded by: Chris Pronger