Nathan LaFayette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nathan LaFayette |
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LaFayette with the Los Angeles Kings in 1996
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| Born | February 17, 1973 New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | St. Louis Blues Vancouver Canucks New York Rangers Los Angeles Kings |
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| NHL Draft | 65th overall, 1991 St. Louis Blues |
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| Playing career | 1993–2000 | ||
Nathan LaFayette (born February 17, 1973) is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played in the NHL. He was chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. During his career, he played for four different NHL teams: the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings.
LaFayette played as a centre and was known for his exciting performance in the playoffs. He played in 187 regular season games and 20 playoff games in the NHL. His hockey career had to end sooner than planned because of injuries.
Contents
LaFayette's Hockey Journey
Nathan LaFayette had a busy career, playing in both junior leagues and the professional NHL. He was a talented player who also focused on his education.
Starting Out in Junior Hockey
Before he became a professional, LaFayette played in the OHL. He played for the Kingston Frontenacs, Cornwall Royals, and Newmarket Royals. While playing for Cornwall in the 1991–92 season, he was named the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year. This award is given to a player who is excellent in both hockey and school.
His best year in junior hockey was with the Newmarket Royals in 1992-93. He scored an amazing 49 goals that season. That same year, he also helped Team Canada win a gold medal at the World Junior Championships.
Hitting the Big Leagues: The NHL
The St. Louis Blues drafted LaFayette in 1991. He played his first NHL games with the Blues during the 1993-94 season. He scored his first NHL point on January 14, 1994, when he assisted on a goal against the Edmonton Oilers. The Blues had planned for him to play in the minor leagues, but because of injuries to other players, he got his chance to play in 38 NHL games.
The 1994 Stanley Cup Finals
In March 1994, LaFayette was part of a big trade. He was sent to the Vancouver Canucks. This move led to one of the most famous moments of his career. The Canucks made it all the way to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Rangers.
In the final minutes of Game 7, with the Canucks needing a goal to tie the game, LaFayette took a shot that hit the goalpost. The Canucks ended up losing the game, but LaFayette's near-goal is still remembered by fans as a thrilling moment. He played very well in those playoffs, scoring 9 points in 20 games.
Playing for the Rangers and Kings
On April 7, 1995, LaFayette was traded to the New York Rangers, the very team he had played against in the finals. He played a few games with them before being traded again.
On March 14, 1996, he was sent to the Los Angeles Kings in another major trade. He played for the Kings for a few seasons. Unfortunately, during his time with the Kings, he suffered serious injuries that affected his career. He decided to retire from hockey in 1999.
International Play
LaFayette represented his home country of Canada in international hockey. In 1993, he was part of the Canadian team that won a gold medal at the 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. This tournament features the best young players from around the world.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada |
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| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 1993 Sweden | |
Life After Hockey
LaFayette was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, but he grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.
After retiring from hockey in 2000, he started a new career in the insurance business. He lives in Oakville, Ontario, with his wife and two children.
Career Statistics
These tables show Nathan LaFayette's statistics for each season he played.
- GP = Games Played
- G = Goals
- A = Assists
- Pts = Points (Goals + Assists)
- PIM = Penalties in Minutes
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1988–89 | Toronto Marlboros Midget AAA | GTHL | 69 | 38 | 68 | 106 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Pickering Panthers | MetJHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 53 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 35 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 28 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 66 | 28 | 45 | 73 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 16 | ||
| 1992–93 | Newmarket Royals | OHL | 58 | 49 | 38 | 87 | 26 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 19 | ||
| 1993–94 | Peoria Rivermen | IHL | 27 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 38 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1994–95 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 27 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 27 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | New York Rangers | NHL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1995–96 | Binghamton Rangers | AHL | 57 | 21 | 27 | 48 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | New York Rangers | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Phoenix Roadrunners | IHL | 31 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 26 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Fredericton Canadiens | AHL | 28 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 34 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 33 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | 41 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 42 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| IHL totals | 99 | 24 | 29 | 53 | 60 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||||
| NHL totals | 187 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 103 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | ||||
| AHL totals | 180 | 58 | 70 | 128 | 129 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
- All statistics are from eliteprospects.com
Awards
OHL
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| OHL CHL Scholastic Player of the Year | 1991–92 |
