Joé Juneau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joé Juneau
Juneau in 2009
Born	(1968-01-05) January 5, 1968 (age 57) Pont-Rouge, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Washington Capitals Buffalo Sabres Ottawa Senators Phoenix Coyotes Montreal Canadiens
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	81st overall, 1988 Boston Bruins
Playing career	1991–2004
Medal record Men's Ice hockey Silver 1992 Albertville Ice hockey

Joseph "Joé" Juneau (born January 5, 1968) is a Canadian former professional hockey player. He was also an engineer. Joé was born in Pont-Rouge, Quebec. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams. These teams included the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, and Montreal Canadiens.

Joé Juneau's Hockey Journey

Joé Juneau started playing hockey when he was young. He played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament three times. This was in 1979, 1980, and 1981. He played with a team from his hometown, Pont-Rouge.

College Hockey Star

The Boston Bruins picked Juneau in the fourth round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the NHL, he was a fantastic college hockey player. He played for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). There, he scored 71 goals over four seasons. He was also chosen as an All-American player twice.

Joé was known for being very smart. He had a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He earned a degree in aeronautical engineering in just three years. This was amazing because he didn't speak English when he first arrived in New York.

Olympic Success and NHL Debut

After college, Juneau spent a year with the Canadian Olympic team. He was discussing his contract with the Bruins at the time. The Bruins didn't want to pay him a full salary if he was sent to the minor leagues. But Juneau insisted on it.

Despite the contract talks, Juneau led Canada to a silver medal. This happened at the 1992 Albertville Games. He was the top scorer in that tournament. Eventually, Juneau signed with Boston on their terms. He joined the Bruins' NHL team right after the Olympics. He never played a single day in the minor leagues during his career. He had a great start, scoring 19 points in 14 games at the end of the 1992 season.

Record-Breaking Rookie Season

Joé Juneau's best season was his first full year, the 1992–93 season. He played for the Boston Bruins. He was a left winger on a strong line with Adam Oates and Cam Neely. That season, he scored 32 goals and had 102 points. He also set an NHL record for assists by a left winger with 70. This record stood until 2022. For his amazing performance, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

There's a fun story about Juneau and Bruins legend Johnny Bucyk. Juneau reportedly asked Bucyk if he could wear his No. 9 jersey. Bucyk supposedly replied, "Score 557 goals first, and then come talk to me."

Moving Between Teams

During the 1993–94 season, the Bruins traded Juneau to the Washington Capitals. He played well for the Capitals. In 1996, he made history by being the first player to get a penalty shot in overtime during a Stanley Cup playoff game. He didn't score, but it was still a notable moment.

Juneau was also part of the Capitals team that reached the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. He scored 17 points in 21 playoff games that year. He scored the winning goal in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres. This goal sent the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals. The next season, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, who also reached the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.

Juneau then played for the Ottawa Senators in the 1999–2000. His scoring numbers started to go down. This was mainly because of ongoing injuries. He became a "journeyman" player, meaning he played for many different teams. He played for five teams in four seasons. He then settled with the Montreal Canadiens for the last three seasons of his career. He retired after the 2003–04 NHL season. Joé Juneau finished his 13-season career with 156 goals and 416 assists, totaling 572 points.

Jersey Numbers

Juneau usually wore No. 90 for most of his career. He later said he chose No. 90 because his favorite number, No. 9, was either retired or already taken by other players. The only time he didn't wear No. 90 was with the Ottawa Senators. There, he wore No. 39. This was because the general manager had a rule that no player could wear a number higher than the goalie. Since the goalie, Patrick Lalime, wore No. 40, Juneau couldn't wear No. 90. He went back to No. 90 after being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Life After Hockey

After retiring from hockey, Joé Juneau became a partner and account manager at Harfan Technologies. This company is based in Quebec City. In 2005, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute gave Juneau an honorary degree. They also named him the second person to be inducted into their "Ring of Honor" in November 2005.

Between 2005 and 2007, Juneau lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. He helped promote hockey to young people there. Later, he moved permanently to Kuujjuaq, Quebec. In Kuujjuaq, he led a hockey program for Inuit youth in northern Quebec. This program focused on encouraging kids to do well in school. For this important work, he received the 2007 La Presse/Radio-Canada Personality of the Year Award. His involvement with the Nunavik hockey program ended in 2017.

Awards and Honors