Ray Fortin

Raymond Henri Fortin (born March 11, 1941 in Drummondville, Quebec) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 92 games in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues.

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Ray Fortin was a solid positional defenceman who played parts of three seasons with the St. Louis Blues during their first three seasons. He was disciplined in his own end recorded his share of assists by providing crisp outlet passes to his teammates.

The native of Drummondville, Quebec played with the local Rockets and Aigles in the Quebec Senior League. In June 1967, St. Louis signed him as they began to assemble their expansion roster. He was a part time player for the Blues during their first two years in the league and played three playoff games when the club reached the finals in 1968. In one pivotal Game 6 of the Division Finals, Fortin deflected a shot into his own net in overtime, causing the Blues to lose, which he took quite hard. He enjoyed a fine year with the CHL's Kansas City Blues in 1968-69 and was selected to the league's second all-star team. Fortin was a regular in the lineup in 1969-70 and saw action in three post-season matches as the Blues reached the Stanley Cup final for the third straight year.

Over the next four years, Fortin was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for defenceman Bob Wall. The Kings traded him with Gordon Labossierre to the Montreal Canadiens for Ralph Backstrom and Boston Bruins but was strictly a farm hand. He was particularly solid in 1970-71 when he split the season between the Springfield Kings and Montreal Voyageurs and was voted on to the AHL second all-star team. He retired in 1974 after spending a year with the San Diego Gulls of the WHL.