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Pierre Larouche: 1st To Score 50 With 2 Different NHL Teams

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pierre larouche pittsburgh penguins 1975-76 o-pee-chee rookie hockey cardPierre 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

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