Mario Lessard
| Mario Lessard | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 25, 1954 East Broughton, QC, CAN |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) |
| Position | Goaltender |
| Caught | Left |
| Played for | AHL Springfield Indians New Haven Nighthawks NHL Los Angeles Kings |
| NHL Draft | 154th overall, 1974 Los Angeles Kings |
| WHA Draft | 128th overall, 1974 Quebec Nordiques |
| Playing career | 1977–1984 |
Mario Lessard (born June 25, 1954 in East Broughton, Quebec) is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.
Lessard began his National Hockey League career with the Los Angeles Kings in 1978, the team he would play his entire NHL career with. Lessard recorded four shutouts in 1978-79, tied for second best in the league. Lessard also was a NHL Second Team All-Star in 1981 and appeared in the 1981 NHL All-Star Game. He may be best known as the Kings goalie in the Miracle on Manchester playoff game in April 1982 in which the Kings rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers, 6-5 in overtime. Early in overtime of that game, Lessard mishandled the puck 40 feet in front of his net as he attempted to beat Glenn Anderson to the puck and stop a breakaway; with the net wide open and defenceman Mark Hardy trying to act as goalie, the Oilers Mark Messier shot the puck over the open net. The Kings scored two minutes later to win. After the game Lessard lamented that his boneheaded play nearly blew the amazing comeback. He retired after the 1984 season.
External links
- Mario Lessard's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Mario Lessard: Training Inspiration