John LeClair

Alternate Captain


Birthdate: 6 July 1969
Birthplace: St. Albans, Vermont
Height: 6'3
Weight: 228 lbs
Sweater Number: 10
Position: Left wing (best in NHL, baby!)
Drafted/Acquired: Drafted by Montreal Canadiens in the 2nd round (33rd overall), 1987. Traded to the Flyers with Eric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne for Mark Recchi on 2/9/95.
Marital Status:Married to wife Christina (his college sweetheart) with cute daughter MacKenzie and sons Cal and Jagger.

Career Notes

Profile

(10/22/01) I'll admit it--I gush a lot when I write about John LeClair on this website. Yes, I know he already has his own tribute page. Ever since my early days as a Flyer and hockey fan, however, LeClair's been one of my favorites.

He has traveled a long way from St. Albans, Vermont. He had a successful career at UVM, though he was never a college hockey hero on the level of Chris Drury or Marty Turco. During the early years of his career, in Montreal, he was considered a bit of a disappointment: a second round draft pick who had not really panned out. Sure, they said, he's had his moments--most notably in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, when his two overtime goals helped Montreal secure its only cup of the 1990s. Those were exceptions. Most of the time in Montreal, LeClair was a bit, well, mediocre.

A blockbuster deal--in which he was an afterthought--brought him to Philly and catapulted him to stardom. Beside Mikael Renberg and Eric Lindros, his career took off. What unfulfilled potential? they said now. Try three straight 50 goal seasons, a spot on Team USA at the 96 World Cup and Nagano Olympics, numerous All-Star game appearances. At first some people said he was simply piggybacking on Eric Lindros's talent--they said John LeClair was Warren Young to Lindros's Mario Lemieux. When Eric Lindros went down with injuries, however, LeClair kept chugging along.

Last year was a lean one for John LeClair. He missed most of the season with various back ailments and spent the rest of his time in a cold war with Flyers management. Would he resign? Would he walk? Those were the questions on everyone's mind; those were the questions that he steadfastly refused to answer. When the Flyers' season ended with a terrible 8-0 loss in Buffalo, hockey pundits throughout North America said it was the end of John LeClair's tenure in orange and black. Thankfully, they were wrong. LeClair gave up free agency for a very lucrative contract with the Flyers--9 million dollars a year. There's a good chance, I think, that he'll finish his career here.

In these early days of the post-Lindros era, it's easy to think that John LeClair's come full circle. Sometimes he plays on a line with Mark Recchi, the player for whom he was traded way back in 1995. But throughout all these years, some things about John LeClair have not changed at all. He's fond of understatement--no Roenick-style quote machine here--and he's a bit of a stoic. Sports Illustrated once wrote, "When John LeClair looks at a glass of water, he sees it as neither half-empy or half-full. He sees water." He plays down his own amazing skills. He pays the price for every goal he scores--and he still scores a heck of a lot of goals. Will he reach the 50 goal milestone again? Let's hope so.

Images

Links

Most of the LeClair links are on the main hockey page.


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