Hec Lalande
Encyclopedia
Hector Joseph Lalande was a Canadian ice hockey
centre
. He played in 151 National Hockey League
(NHL) games, all but twelve with the Chicago Black Hawks
. His most productive years were in the minors with the Clinton Comets
where he had back-to-back 100-point seasons.
for disabled athletes. Lalande was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
and Galt Black Hawks
of the Ontario Hockey League
Junior. He showed great promise as a playmaker and was quickly recognized by NHL scouts. In the middle of the 1953–54 season, Lalande was called up by Galt's parent team the Chicago Black Hawks
to play two games. He did not record a point but received two penalty minutes. He was sent back down to finish the season in Galt. The following season Lalande was again brought up to a higher league, this time with the Buffalo Bisons
of the American Hockey League
. He played three games but again failed to really impress and was returned to Galt. He finished out the season leading his team in points with 31 goals and 48 assists, putting him fifth in the league overall for points and fourth in the league in assists. He had finally caught the attention of Chicago and was brought up to play a permanent role with the Black Hawks for the 1955–56 season.
and Harry Watson
. He also saw time with affiliate the Rochester Americans
in 1956. During the 1957–58 season, Lalande played 22 games for Chicago before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings
along with Nick Mickoski
, Bob Bailey
and Jack McIntyre
for Bill Dineen, Billy Dea
, Lorne Ferguson
and Earl Reibel
on December 17, 1957. In 12 games with the Red Wings, Lalande put up only two assists and was traded, four months after coming from Chicago, to the Hershey Bears
of the AHL along with Don Poile
and cash for Dunc Fisher
on April 23, 1958.
The trade would turn out to be a blessing in disguise as Lalande would help lead the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup
Championships in 1957–58
and 1958–59
. Lalande remained with the Bears for three more seasons, helping them to again reach the finals in 1960–61
, eventually falling four games to none to the Springfield Indians
. Lalande also played a single game for the Montreal Royals of the Eastern Professional Hockey League in a rehab stint in 1961. After scoring 57 points in the 1961–62 AHL season
and leading the Bears to a 2nd round playoff appearance, Lalande decided to leave Hershey for the St. Louis Braves
of the EPHL. Playing in only 26 games, Lalande scored 30 points and 57 PIMs.
For the 1963–64 season, Lalande joined the Clinton Comets
of the Eastern Hockey League
and put up his most impressive numbers to date. Lalande finished first on his team in points and second overall in the league in assists with 27 goals, 75 assists and 102 points on the season. Lalande was a driving force behind the Comets winning of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy and the James J. Walker Trophy. The following season, Lalande again put up big numbers with 31 goals and 69 assists for another 100-point season. In August 1965, Lalande was traded by Clinton to the Jersey Devils
along with Norm Defelice
, Ted Sydlowski and Benny Woit
for Ed Babiuk, Pat Kelly and Borden Smith. Lalande would finish out his best playing days with Jersey scoring 61 points in three seasons with the club. After two games into the 1967–68 season, Lalande joined the OHA Senior A Hockey League to play for the Belleville Mohawks and would retire from ice hockey after scoring 17 points in his last 28 games.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
. He played in 151 National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) games, all but twelve with the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. His most productive years were in the minors with the Clinton Comets
Clinton Comets
The Clinton Comets were an American ice hockey team in Clinton, New York.Founded in 1927–28 as the Clinton Hockey Club and nicknamed the Comets in 1949, the team played primarily at the Clinton Arena from 1949 until 1973...
where he had back-to-back 100-point seasons.
Personal
Born in North Bay, Ontario, Lalande returned each summer during his hockey career. After his hockey career, Lalande returned to North Bay permanently. In North Bay, he coached local hockey and baseball teams. He organized and coached sledge hockeySledge hockey
Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey. Ice sledge hockey was invented in the early 1960s in Stockholm, Sweden at a rehabilitation center...
for disabled athletes. Lalande was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
Minor league hockey
Lalande started out playing for the Belleville BullsBelleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls are a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.-History:...
and Galt Black Hawks
Galt Black Hawks
The Galt Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team based in Galt, Ontario, now a part of the city of Cambridge. They played in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1949 to 1955 and were operated as an affiliate of the Chicago Black Hawks...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
Junior. He showed great promise as a playmaker and was quickly recognized by NHL scouts. In the middle of the 1953–54 season, Lalande was called up by Galt's parent team the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
to play two games. He did not record a point but received two penalty minutes. He was sent back down to finish the season in Galt. The following season Lalande was again brought up to a higher league, this time with the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. He played three games but again failed to really impress and was returned to Galt. He finished out the season leading his team in points with 31 goals and 48 assists, putting him fifth in the league overall for points and fourth in the league in assists. He had finally caught the attention of Chicago and was brought up to play a permanent role with the Black Hawks for the 1955–56 season.
Playing in the NHL
Lalande played 65 games for Chicago that season and recorded 26 points. He would continue that pace the following season while playing with linemates Forbes KennedyForbes Kennedy
Forbes Taylor Kennedy is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. In 603 career NHL games Kennedy recorded 70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points and 988 penalty minutes....
and Harry Watson
Harry Watson (ice hockey b. 1923)
Harold Percival "Whipper" Watson was a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing who played for the Brooklyn Americans, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Chicago Black Hawks, winning five Stanley Cups over a 14-year career in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Born in Saskatoon,...
. He also saw time with affiliate the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
in 1956. During the 1957–58 season, Lalande played 22 games for Chicago before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
along with Nick Mickoski
Nick Mickoski
Nickolas "Broadway Nick" Mickoski was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.Mickoski started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers in 1947. He would also play for the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. He retired after the...
, Bob Bailey
Bob Bailey (ice hockey)
Robert Allan "Bashin' Bob" Bailey was a ice hockey right winger. He spent time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He was known for being involved with trades for over twenty players and was even traded for Bill Dineen on three...
and Jack McIntyre
Jack McIntyre
John Archibald "Jack" McIntyre was a professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:...
for Bill Dineen, Billy Dea
Billy Dea
William Fraser Dea was a professional ice hockey centre and head coach in the National Hockey League. He played with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 67 goals and 54 assists in 397 games. In 1975 Dea became an assistant coach with the...
, Lorne Ferguson
Lorne Ferguson
Lorne Ferguson was professional ice hockey left winger who played 422 games in the National Hockey League. Born in Palmerston, Ontario, he played for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Black Hawks....
and Earl Reibel
Earl Reibel
Earl "Dutch" Reibel was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played primarily as a center with the Detroit Red Wings, as well as the Chicago Black Hawks and Boston Bruins....
on December 17, 1957. In 12 games with the Red Wings, Lalande put up only two assists and was traded, four months after coming from Chicago, to the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
of the AHL along with Don Poile
Don Poile
Donald B. Poile is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 66 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings. Despite his brief career in the NHL, Poile had a successful minor league career with the Edmonton Flyers of the WHL. He was born in Fort William, Ontario, and...
and cash for Dunc Fisher
Dunc Fisher
Duncan Robert Fisher is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 275 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings.- External links :...
on April 23, 1958.
The trade would turn out to be a blessing in disguise as Lalande would help lead the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
Championships in 1957–58
1957–58 AHL season
The 1957–58 AHL season was the 22nd season of the American Hockey League. Six teams each played 70 games in their schedules. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season, and won their second Calder Cup championship.-Final standings:...
and 1958–59
1958–59 AHL season
The 1958–59 AHL season was the 23rd season of the American Hockey League. The Eddie Shore Award was first awarded to the "Defenceman of the year." Six teams played 70 games each in the schedule. The Buffalo Bisons finished first overall in the regular season...
. Lalande remained with the Bears for three more seasons, helping them to again reach the finals in 1960–61
1960–61 AHL season
The 1960–61 AHL season was the 25th season of the American Hockey League. Seven teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The All-Star Game was not played, and put on hold until resurrected in the 1994–95 AHL season...
, eventually falling four games to none to the Springfield Indians
Springfield Indians
The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with...
. Lalande also played a single game for the Montreal Royals of the Eastern Professional Hockey League in a rehab stint in 1961. After scoring 57 points in the 1961–62 AHL season
1961–62 AHL season
The 1961–62 AHL season was the 26th season of the American Hockey League. The league initiates the James C. Hendy Memorial Award for outstanding team or league executives. The league resumes East and West Divisions. The John D. Chick Trophy is first awarded for the West Division champions of the...
and leading the Bears to a 2nd round playoff appearance, Lalande decided to leave Hershey for the St. Louis Braves
St. Louis Braves
The St. Louis Braves were a minor league hockey club located in St. Louis, Missouri. The team originated as the Syracuse Braves in the Eastern Professional Hockey League's final season of 1962–63. The team was moved to St. Louis mid-season, and continued in the new Central Hockey League after the...
of the EPHL. Playing in only 26 games, Lalande scored 30 points and 57 PIMs.
For the 1963–64 season, Lalande joined the Clinton Comets
Clinton Comets
The Clinton Comets were an American ice hockey team in Clinton, New York.Founded in 1927–28 as the Clinton Hockey Club and nicknamed the Comets in 1949, the team played primarily at the Clinton Arena from 1949 until 1973...
of the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
and put up his most impressive numbers to date. Lalande finished first on his team in points and second overall in the league in assists with 27 goals, 75 assists and 102 points on the season. Lalande was a driving force behind the Comets winning of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy and the James J. Walker Trophy. The following season, Lalande again put up big numbers with 31 goals and 69 assists for another 100-point season. In August 1965, Lalande was traded by Clinton to the Jersey Devils
Jersey Devils (ice hockey)
The Jersey Devils was the name of a professional ice hockey team from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. They were not affiliated with the NHL New Jersey Devils....
along with Norm Defelice
Norm Defelice
Norm Defelice is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Boston Bruins of the NHL.-External links:...
, Ted Sydlowski and Benny Woit
Benny Woit
Benedict Francis Woit was a National Hockey League defenceman of the 1950s.-Playing career:Woit made his presence known as a junior while playing for the Port Arthur Flyers and Bruins of the TBJHL and the St. Mike's Majors of the OHA. He began playing for the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL for...
for Ed Babiuk, Pat Kelly and Borden Smith. Lalande would finish out his best playing days with Jersey scoring 61 points in three seasons with the club. After two games into the 1967–68 season, Lalande joined the OHA Senior A Hockey League to play for the Belleville Mohawks and would retire from ice hockey after scoring 17 points in his last 28 games.
Awards and achievements
- Calder Cup Champion:1957–58, 1958–59 (Hershey Bears – AHL)
- Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy Winner:1963–64 (Clinton Comets – EHL)
- James J. Walker Trophy Winner:1963–64 (Clinton Comets – EHL)
- North Bay Sports Hall of Fame: 1986