Pierre Larouche was one of the most prolific offensive threats in Canadian Hockey League history. His 251 points in 1973-74 with the Sorel Eperviers of the QMJHL stand second to just the 282 Mario Lemieux put up in 1983-84 as a member of the Laval Voisins. Larouche is also the first player in National Hockey League history to score 50 goals in a season for two different teams.
Pierre Larouche – Junior Hockey
Larouche played two years in the QMJHL, 1972-73 and 1973-74. His first year began with the Quebec Remparts but after 20 games he was shipped to the Eperviers (Black Hawks). Pierre then exploded offensively with his new team and finished his rookie season in the QMJHL with 53 goals and 61 assists for 114 points over 63 regular season games.
In 1973-74, defense went on strike in the QMJHL with five different players surpassing the 200 point plateau. At the head of the class, earning the Jean Beliveau Trophy, was Larouche. Over 67 regular season games, Pierre scored 94 goals and assisted on 157 for 251 points. His 157 assists still stand as a QMJHL and CHL record while his 251 points were a Canadian major junior record until Super Mario came along a decade later.
The Eperviers finished first overall in the eleven team league with three of their player, including Larouche, reaching the 200 point plateau. Sorel then swept their way through the first two rounds of the playoffs to earn a meeting with the Quebec Remparts in the finals. Quebec came out on top in six games and Pierre’s junior career was over.
Pierre Larouche – NHL Career
Larouche was chosen eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. He was also a second round pick that year by the Houston Aeros in the WHA Amateur Draft.
Between 1974-75 and 1987-88, Pierre played in 812 regular season National Hockey League games with the Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers. Over that time, he scored 395 goals and assisted on 427 for 822 points.
Larouche also played in 64 Stanley Cup playoffs games, adding another 54 points. He was a member of the 1977-78 and 1978-79 Montreal Canadiens, a team that won their third and fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championships in those two seasons. However, Pierre played just five playoff games in 1977-78 and six in 1978-79.
His pinnacle offensive season came in just his second in the NHL. With the 1975-76 Pittsburgh Penguins, Larouche scored 53 and totalled 111 points. He placed third in the league in goals behind the 61 put up by Reg Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers and the 56 by Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens.
In 1979-80, he would reach the 50 goal mark for his second of two times with exactly 50 for the Canadiens. The total tied Pierre for seventh in the NHL with Reg Leach and Guy Lafleur.
Pierre Larouche – Rookie Card
The Pierre Larouche rookie card appears as number 305 in the 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee set. The card is valued at eight times that of a common card and shows him as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1972-73 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 20 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
| 1972-73 | Sorel Black Hawks | QMJHL | 43 | 47 | 54 | 101 | 44 |
| 1973-74 | Sorel Black Hawks | QMJHL | 67 | 94 | 157 | 251 | 55 |
| 1974-75 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 79 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 52 |
| 1975-76 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 76 | 53 | 58 | 111 | 33 |
| 1976-77 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 65 | 29 | 34 | 63 | 14 |
| 1977-78 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 20 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 1977-78 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 44 | 17 | 32 | 49 | 11 |
| 1978-79 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 36 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 4 |
| 1979-80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 50 | 41 | 91 | 16 |
| 1980-81 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 61 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 28 |
| 1981-82 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 22 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 0 |
| 1981-82 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 45 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 12 |
| 1982-83 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 38 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 8 |
| 1983-84 | New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 48 | 33 | 81 | 22 |
| 1984-85 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 8 |
| 1985-86 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 32 | 22 | 17 | 39 | 16 |
| 1985-86 | New York Rangers | NHL | 28 | 20 | 7 | 27 | 4 |
| 1986-87 | New York Rangers | NHL | 73 | 28 | 35 | 63 | 12 |
| 1987-88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 10 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 13 |
| NHL Totals | 812 | 395 | 427 | 822 | 237 |