Gary Croteau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Croteau |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 20, 1946 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada |
||
| 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 |
||
| Playing career | 1968–1981 | ||
Gary Croteau, born on June 20, 1946, is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He was a forward, which means he played in the front of the ice to score goals. Gary is best known for playing with the Colorado Rockies in the NHL.
Contents
Gary Croteau's Hockey Journey
Gary Croteau was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. His dad, Earl Croteau, worked as a miner. Gary loved hockey and played in college for St. Lawrence University. He was a great player there. In 1968, he was even chosen for the ECAC First All-Star Team.
Starting in the NHL
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 their farm team, the Springfield Kings, in the American Hockey League. In 1968, he played a few games for the Los Angeles Kings and scored five goals. He even helped the Kings reach the semifinals in the playoffs that year. The Kings' owner, Jack Kent Cooke, gave Gary the nickname "Bull."
Gary played only a few more games for the Kings in 1969-70. Then, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. He didn't play much for Detroit before the California Golden Seals picked him up in 1970. With the Golden Seals, Gary became a regular player for four seasons. He was one of their top scorers in his first and last years with the team.
Playing for the Scouts and Rockies
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 became a very important player for the team. Gary scored the first goal in the Scouts' first-ever win. This happened in early November 1974, when they beat Washington 5-4.
Even though the Scouts were not a very strong team, Gary was one of their best players. In 1976, the team moved to Denver and became the Colorado Rockies. Gary continued to be a key player for them. His best season was in 1976-77. That year, he scored 24 goals and made 27 assists, totaling 51 points. These were his highest scores in his career.
After an injury in 1979-80, Gary Croteau retired from professional hockey. He lives in the Denver area today.
Awards and Achievements
Gary Croteau received an important award during his college career:
| 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 | ||||
