Marc Lamothe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marc Lamothe
Lamothe in 2003
Born	(1974-02-27) February 27, 1974 (age 51) New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Goalie
Caught	Left
Played for	Chicago Blackhawks Detroit Red Wings Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Severstal Cherepovets SKA St. Petersburg Barys Astana Pelicans Hamburg Freezers
NHL Draft	92nd overall, 1992 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1994–2011

Marc Lamothe (born February 27, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for many teams during his career, including the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings in North America, and several teams in Europe. He last played for the Hamburg Freezers in Germany during the 2010–11 season.

Marc Lamothe's Hockey Journey

Starting in Junior Hockey

Marc Lamothe began his hockey journey in junior leagues. He played for the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In 1992, the Montreal Canadiens picked him in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 92nd player chosen overall.

When he became a professional player in the 1994–95 season, the Canadiens sent him to their minor league teams. He spent most of his first year with the Wheeling Thunderbirds in the ECHL. He also played a few games for the Fredericton Canadiens in the American Hockey League (AHL).

In the 1995–96 season, he played more games for the Fredericton Canadiens. However, it became clear that he was not part of the Montreal Canadiens' future plans. After that season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

Time with the Chicago Blackhawks

On August 21, 1996, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Marc Lamothe. He spent the next three seasons playing for their main minor league team, the Indianapolis Ice, in the IHL. He worked hard to improve his skills, hoping for a chance to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

At the start of the 1999–2000 season, Lamothe moved to play for the Cleveland Lumberjacks. However, the Blackhawks still held his rights. Soon after, he got his big chance! The Blackhawks needed a backup goalie because their regular player, Steve Passmore, was injured.

Marc Lamothe made his NHL debut when the starting goalie, Jocelyn Thibault, got injured just four minutes into the game. It was a tough first game, as the St. Louis Blues scored many goals. But a week later, he bounced back. He stopped 22 shots against the Boston Bruins and earned his first NHL victory!

Moving to Other Teams

After his time with the Blackhawks, Lamothe signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000. He spent that entire season playing for their minor league team, the Syracuse Crunch, in the AHL.

The next year, for the 2001–02 season, he signed with the Edmonton Oilers organization. Even though he played well in training camp, the Oilers chose another goalie as their backup. So, Lamothe spent that whole season with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL.

Success with the Detroit Red Wings

On August 5, 2002, the Detroit Red Wings signed Marc Lamothe. They sent him to their AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins. His job was to help guide a younger goalie named Joey MacDonald.

Lamothe had an amazing season in the AHL that year. He won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award for being the best goalie in the AHL. He also shared the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award with Joey MacDonald. This award is given to goalies on the team with the lowest Goals against average (GAA) in the AHL.

His great performance caught the attention of the Red Wings. On July 1, 2003, they signed him again for another year. He started the season back with the Griffins. But as the season went on, the Red Wings' main goalies, Dominik Hašek and Curtis Joseph, both got injured. This led to Lamothe being called up to the NHL to support Manny Legace.

Even though he wasn't needed to play much, Lamothe did get to start a game against his old team, the Edmonton Oilers, on February 23, 2004. The game ended in a 1–1 tie. News articles the next day talked about his journey. He had spent 10 years mostly in the minor leagues before getting to start for one of hockey's most famous teams! He started one more game that season, making 26 saves for a 3–2 win against the St. Louis Blues.

Playing Hockey in Europe

After the 2003–04 season, the NHL faced a big problem called the 2004–05 NHL lockout. This meant there were no NHL games played that year. Even with his success in the AHL, Lamothe hadn't become a full-time NHL goalie before the lockout.

However, teams in the Russian Super League were interested in him. They offered a higher level of competition and better pay than the AHL. So, on June 14, 2004, Marc Lamothe moved overseas. He signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and played 54 games for them that season.

He continued his career in Russia, playing for Severstal Cherepovets for two seasons. He also won the LenVO Cup with Severstal in August 2005. In 2007, he joined SKA Saint Petersburg and then Barys Astana for the 2008–09 season.

In the 2009–10 season, Lamothe left Russia and signed with Pelicans in Finland. He played 14 games there before a knee injury ended his season early.

His last professional team was the Hamburg Freezers in Germany, where he signed a one-year contract on April 7, 2010. After playing 15 games, he was released by the team and returned to North America in November 2010, ending his long and interesting hockey career.

Career Statistics

Here's a summary of Marc Lamothe's career statistics. These numbers show how many games he played, how many wins and losses he had, and other important details about his performance as a goalie.