On June 8, 1983, the Detroit Red Wings changed their history when they drafted Steve Yzerman 4th overall. But the guy they wanted was Pat LaFontaine. In celebration of the 40th anniversary, here’s a clip that explains why the Wings wanted LaFontaine from “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft” by Helene St. James. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via his email.
Pat LaFontaine grew up in a nine-room house on the shores of Lake Williams in Waterford Township, about 30 miles north of Detroit. His father, John LaFontaine Sr., would set up a makeshift skating rink on the lake each winter, piling snow to simulate boards. He installed eight floodlights so that Pat and his older brother, John Jr., could play at night.
By 1983, LaFontaine was loved in Montreal and coveted in Detroit. The fantastically talented center was a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) superstar and seemingly the perfect player to rekindle interest in the Red Wings.
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His hockey credentials were sublime. In 1981-82, LaFontaine had 175 goals and 324 points in 79 games with Detroit Compuware. On January 5, 1983, 17-year-old LaFontaine broke Guy Lafleur’s 12-year record for most consecutive points in the QMJHL. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was among many supporters who sent congratulations by telegram.
Jimmy Devellano, the general manager at the time, described LaFontaine as “a franchise type player. He’s a Marcel Dionne-Wayne Gretzky type player. He has fantastic vision and makes fantastic plays. The puck looks fair follow him, which is the case for all great players.”
LaFontaine finished the 1982-83 season with 104 goals and 234 points for the Verdun Juniors, surpassing Mike Bossy’s 70 goals as a rookie, surpassing future NHL superstar Mario Lemieux and winning the Jean Beliveau Trophy as a best striker. LaFontaine’s face was on buttons and posters; it appeared daily in newspapers and was discussed on talk shows. He spent 45 minutes after games signing autographs. Fans wrote messages in the dust of his car.
“I’ve never seen a child loved like him,” said Verdun general manager Eric Taylor. A Montreal newspaper called LaFontaine “The Wonder of Detroit” – The Wonder of Detroit. LaFontaine had it all: elite skills, good looks, a strong personality. He graduated from Waterford Kettering High School the same month he was drafted. “I started dreaming about the NHL when I was little,” LaFontaine said. “Then I set goals and followed them.”
At the Montreal Forum on June 8, 1983, New York Islanders general manager Bill Torrey announced LaFontaine’s name with the third pick. LaFontaine, seated in the second row, hugged his parents.
In September, he decided to postpone his NHL dreams after the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The United States failed to qualify for the medal and LaFontaine returned to the Islanders. He had just turned 19.
LaFontaine made his NHL debut on February 29, 1984 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He didn’t get a point because the goal he set for himself was disallowed, but on March 3, in his second game, LaFontaine looked like the teenage sensation, registering three goals and two assists. He only played 15 games that season but had 13 goals and six assists.
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LaFontaine was a star for the Islanders, but he came as the team went into decline after four straight Stanley Cup championships. The playoffs got shorter, but LaFontaine thrived. In 1989-90, he scored 54 goals and had 105 points in 74 games. The Islanders made the playoffs, but LaFontaine was knocked out after being crushed between James Patrick and Chris Nilan of the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the divisional semifinals on April 5. La Fontaine suffered a concussion and was hospitalized overnight, although he was able to return for Game 5 eight days later.
As the Islanders continued to spit, LaFontaine grew frustrated. He implemented a contract suspension early in the 1991–92 season, and on October 25, the Islanders traded their cornerstone center to the Buffalo Sabers. LaFontaine answered with 93 points in 57 games.
He had his best season in 1992-93, recording 95 assists and 148 points in 84 games. LaFontaine finished second in scoring behind Mario Lemieux’s 160 points, was a Hart Memorial Trophy runner-up (Most Valuable Player) and a Lady Byng Trophy runner-up (Most Athletic Player). He received the Bill Masterton Trophy (perseverance and dedication to hockey).
LaFontaine’s career has been defined by talent and derailed by concussions. In November 1996, news emerged that LaFontaine was suffering severe post-concussive effects and would miss three months. The previous month, he suffered the fifth concussion in 14 career seasons. There was talk that he would be forced to retire, but LaFontaine was traded to the New York Rangers in September 1997. In a game on March 16, he collided with teammate Mike Keane and was again sidelined. On August 11, 1998, LaFontaine announced his retirement. He was 33 years old.
LaFontaine had 468 goals and 545 assists in 1,013 games. He appeared in five NHL All-Star Games and two U.S. Olympic teams, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. The Detroit wonder played his entire NHL career for New York teams , marking his career with grace and excellence.
Do you feel a draft?
What: 2023 NHL Draft.
When or: June 28-29; Nashville, Tennessee.
TV: ESPN.
The Red Wings’ picks (with overall picks in parentheses): Round 1 – #9 (9), #17 (17); Round 2 – #8 (41), #9 (42), #10 (43); Round 3 – No. 9 (73); Round 4 – No. 22 (118); Round 5 – No. 9 (137); Round 6 – No. 9 (169); Round 7 – No. 9 (201).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why the Detroit Red Wings coveted Pat LaFontaine in the 1983 NHL Draft