Gary Croteau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Croteau |
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| Born | June 20, 1946 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | NHL Los Angeles Kings Detroit Red Wings California Golden Seals Kansas City Scouts Colorado Rockies |
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| Playing career | 1968–1981 | ||
Gary Croteau (born June 20, 1946) is a Canadian former ice hockey player. He played as a forward, mostly as a left wing. Gary is most famous for playing with the Colorado Rockies in the NHL.
Gary Croteau's Hockey Journey
Gary Croteau was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He played college hockey at St. Lawrence University. He was a very strong player there. In 1968, he was chosen for the ECAC First All-Star Team. This was a big honor for college players.
After college, Gary signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968. Soon after, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He played well for the Kings' minor league team, the Springfield Kings. He also played a few games for the Los Angeles Kings in 1968. He scored five goals in just eleven games! Because of this, he joined the Kings for the playoffs that year. He scored five more goals in eleven playoff games. The Kings even made it to the semifinals. The owner of the Kings, Jack Kent Cooke, gave Gary the nickname "Bull."
In 1970, Gary was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. He played only a few games there. Then, the California Golden Seals picked him in a special draft. He became a regular player for the Golden Seals for four seasons. He was one of their top scorers in his first and last years with the team.
Joining New NHL Teams
In 1974, the NHL added two new teams: the Kansas City Scouts and the Washington Capitals. Gary Croteau was one of the first players picked by the Kansas City Scouts. He was a very important player for this new team. Gary scored the first goal in the Scouts' first-ever win. This happened in early November against Washington.
After a quiet first season, Gary became one of the Scouts' best players. He continued to be a top player even when the team moved to Denver in 1976. The team then became the Colorado Rockies. His best season was in 1976-77. That year, he scored 24 goals and made 27 assists. This gave him 51 points, which were his highest numbers ever in the NHL.
Gary Croteau had an injury that kept him out for most of the 1979-80 season. After that, he stopped playing professional hockey. He played a very short time in the minor leagues the next year. Today, Gary Croteau lives in the Denver area.
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1967–68 |
Career Statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1964–65 | St. Lawrence University | ECAC | 14 | 18 | 13 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | St. Lawrence University | ECAC | 24 | 20 | 11 | 31 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | St. Lawrence University | ECAC | 27 | 21 | 17 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | St. Lawrence University | ECAC | 19 | 21 | 19 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 1968–69 | Springfield Kings | AHL | 53 | 24 | 20 | 44 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Springfield Kings | AHL | 52 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 74 | 15 | 28 | 43 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 73 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 47 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 76 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Kansas City Scouts | NHL | 77 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Kansas City Scouts | NHL | 79 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 78 | 24 | 27 | 51 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 62 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 79 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 15 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Fort Worth Texans | CHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 684 | 144 | 175 | 319 | 143 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||||
