Hec Lalande facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hec Lalande |
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| Born | November 24, 1934 North Bay, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | August 18, 2010 (aged 75) North Bay, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 157 lb (71 kg; 11 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Chicago Black Hawks Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 1953–1968 | ||
Hector Joseph Lalande (born November 24, 1934 – died August 18, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a skilled centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Lalande played 151 NHL games for the Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings between 1954 and 1958. He was known for his strong play in minor leagues, especially with the Clinton Comets. There, he achieved an amazing feat: two seasons in a row where he scored over 100 points!
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Hector Lalande's Life and Legacy
Hector Lalande was born in North Bay, Ontario. He loved his hometown very much. Even during his busy hockey career, he would return to North Bay every summer. After he stopped playing professional hockey, Lalande moved back to North Bay for good.
Coaching and Community Work
In North Bay, Hector Lalande stayed involved in sports. He coached local hockey teams, helping young players learn the game. He also coached baseball teams. Lalande was a kind person who cared about his community. He even helped organize and coach sledge hockey for athletes with disabilities. This showed his dedication to making sports open to everyone.
Hall of Fame Recognition
Because of his contributions to hockey and his community, Hector Lalande was honored. In 1986, he was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame. This recognized his achievements as a player and his positive impact off the ice.
Hector Lalande's Hockey Journey
Hector Lalande's professional hockey career lasted from 1953 to 1968. He played for several teams in different leagues. He showed great skill as a playmaker, meaning he was good at setting up goals for his teammates.
Starting in Junior Hockey
Lalande began his career in junior hockey. He played for the Belleville Bulls and Galt Black Hawks in the Ontario Hockey League (OHA Junior). His talent was quickly noticed by scouts from the NHL.
In the middle of the 1953–54 season, the Chicago Black Hawks called him up. He played two games for them in the NHL. He didn't score any points but did get two penalty minutes. After these games, he went back to Galt to finish his junior season.
The next season, Lalande moved up to the American Hockey League (AHL). He played three games for the Buffalo Bisons. Again, he didn't make a big impression right away. He returned to Galt and had a fantastic season. He led his team in points with 31 goals and 48 assists. This made him fifth in the league for points and fourth for assists. His strong performance finally caught Chicago's attention. They decided to bring him up to play for the Black Hawks full-time for the 1955–56 season.
Playing in the National Hockey League
During the 1955–56 season, Lalande played 65 games for Chicago. He scored 26 points, which was a good start. He continued to play well the next season. He often played on a line with teammates Forbes Kennedy and Harry Watson. He also spent some time with Chicago's AHL team, the Rochester Americans, in 1956.
In the 1957–58 season, Lalande played 22 games for Chicago. Then, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a big deal. Several players were involved in this trade. Lalande played 12 games for the Red Wings, getting two assists. Four months later, he was traded again. This time, he went to the Hershey Bears in the AHL.
Success in the Minor Leagues
The trade to the Hershey Bears turned out to be a great move for Lalande. He became a key player for the Bears. He helped them win two Calder Cup Championships in a row! They won in the 1957–58 and 1958–59 seasons.
Lalande stayed with the Bears for three more seasons. He helped them reach the finals again in 1960–61. They lost that series to the Springfield Indians. He also played one game for the Montreal Royals in another league in 1961. After a strong season in 1961–62, Lalande decided to leave Hershey. He joined the St. Louis Braves for the next season.
His Best Years with the Clinton Comets
For the 1963–64 season, Lalande joined the Clinton Comets in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). This is where he had his most impressive performances. He led his team in points. He was also second in the entire league for assists. He scored 27 goals and had 75 assists, totaling 102 points! Lalande was a major reason the Comets won the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy and the Walker Cup.
The next season, he did it again! Lalande had another 100-point season, with 31 goals and 69 assists. In 1965, he was traded to the Jersey Devils. He played three more seasons with them, scoring 61 points.
Lalande finished his career in the OHA Senior A League. He played for the Belleville Mohawks in the 1967–68 season. After scoring 17 points in 28 games, he retired from ice hockey.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1952–53 | Galt Black Hawks | OHA | 56 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 65 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 27 | ||
| 1953–54 | Galt Black Hawks | OHA | 59 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1953–54 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1954–55 | Galt Black Hawks | OHA | 49 | 31 | 48 | 79 | 93 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 1954–55 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1955–56 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 65 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1956–57 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 50 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1956–57 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 22 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 11 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1958–59 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 58 | 12 | 23 | 55 | 58 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 30 | ||
| 1959–60 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 61 | 14 | 28 | 42 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 72 | 15 | 41 | 56 | 71 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 11 | ||
| 1960–61 | Montreal Royals | EPHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 64 | 21 | 36 | 57 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1962–63 | St. Louis Braves | EPHL | 26 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | Clinton Comets | EHL | 62 | 27 | 75 | 102 | 33 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 11 | ||
| 1964–65 | Clinton Comets | EHL | 62 | 31 | 69 | 100 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1965–66 | Jersey Devils | EHL | 38 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Innsbrucker EV | AUT | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Jersey Devils | EHL | 18 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 2 | ||
| 1967–68 | Jersey Devils | EHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Belleville Mohawks | OHA Sr | 28 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 282 | 74 | 138 | 212 | 250 | 39 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 51 | ||||
| NHL totals | 151 | 21 | 39 | 60 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and Achievements
Hector Lalande earned several awards and achievements during his hockey career:
- Calder Cup: He won this championship twice with the Hershey Bears in the AHL, in 1957–58 and 1958–59.
- Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy: He won this with the Clinton Comets in the EHL in 1963–64.
- Walker Cup: He also won this with the Clinton Comets in the EHL in 1963–64.
- North Bay Sports Hall of Fame: He was inducted into his hometown's Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
