Vincent Lecavalier

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 225px
position = Centre
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 219
team = Tampa Bay Lightning
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date and age|1980|4|21
birth_place = Ile Bizard, QC, CAN
career_start = 1998
draft = 1st overall
draft_year = 1998
draft_team = Tampa Bay Lightning

Vincent Lecavalier (born April 21, 1980 Ile Bizard, Quebec) is a French Canadian professional hockey player and captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Vincent Lecavalier was drafted first overall by Tampa Bay in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, during which new Lightning owner Art Williams proclaimed that Lecavalier would be "the Michael Jordan of hockey". [ [http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2007/03/30/vincent-lecavalier-nets-goal-50/] ] [Citation
last = Hodges
first = Jim
title =Bonus Baby - hockey player Vincent Lecavalier - Brief Article
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_1998_Nov_9/ai_53224198
publisher = "The Sporting News"
date = 1998-11-09
accessdate = 2007-08-04]

On March 1, 2000 [cite web |url=http://lightning.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tbl_content_1698 |title=Tampa Bay Lightning History 1999-2000 |accessdate=2008-07-21 |publisher=Tampa Bay Lightning] , following his sophomore season, he was named captain, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history at 19 years and 11 months (since surpassed by Sidney Crosby). Previously, Steve Yzerman had held that honour, having been named captain of the Detroit Red Wings at 21 years, 5 months. [Brian Bellows was named interim-captain at age 19 years, 4 months while Craig Hartsburg was out of the lineup with an injury.]

Lecavalier however never fulfilled expectations and was later stripped of the captaincy before the 2001-02 NHL season when Lightning management decided he was too young even as a high calibre player. Around that time, he clashed frequently with head coach John Tortorella. Tortorella demanded more accountability from his players, and showed this by stripping Lecavalier of the team captaincy after he missed the start of 2001-02 because of contract negotiations.

Tortorella has since noted that Lecavalier has matured and become a less selfish player since losing the team captaincy. [ [http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2007/03/30/vincent-lecavalier-nets-goal-50/] ] During the 2004, while Martin St. Louis led in regular season scoring and Brad Richards led in the playoffs, Lecavalier played a key role in the team's Stanley Cup victory, assisting on the Cup-clinching goal. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Canadian National Team in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, which Canada won. Lecavalier was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics, but returned to Tampa without a medal.

Lecavalier broke the all-time Tampa Bay Lightning record for most points in a season by scoring his 95th point on March 16, 2007 against the Buffalo Sabres. The record was previously held by Martin St. Louis, who had 94 points during the 2003-04 NHL season.

On March 30, 2007, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Lecavalier became the first Lightning player to record 50 goals in a season. He finished the season with 52 goals, edging Ottawa's Dany Heatley, who scored 50 goals, to earn the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer for the 2006-07 season.

During the 2007-08 NHL season, Lecavalier recorded 8 straight multipoint games, being the first to do so since Jaromir Jagr in 1996. The scoring streak put him first in the NHL scoring race, until in February he was overtaken by the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin. He was named captain of the Eastern Conference at the 2008 NHL All Star Game.

In the 2007-2008 offseason, Lecavalier underwent shoulder surgery to repair an infraction from taking a hit against Matt Cooke of the Washington Capitals. He is scheduled to undergo another surgery on his left wrist later in the summer.

On July 12, 2008, Lecavalier agreed to an eleven-year, $85 million contract extension with the Lightning. His new contract begins after the 2008-2009 season, and runs through the 2019-2020 season, which may likely see the All-Star forward end his career with the Lightning. [citeweb|title=Lecavalier's 'lifetime' deal with Lightning|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=243275|publisher=TSN|accessdate=2008-07-12|date=2008-07-12]

Before the start of the 2008-09 NHL season, he was re-named captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2008.

Personal life

Attended Thorndale Elementary in Pierrefonds and then he went to John Rennie High School in Pointe-Claire, Quebec for two years ('92-'93) before transferring to Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Saskatchewan. Has been best friends with ex-Lightning center Brad Richards, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2004 as Most Valuable Player of the NHL Playoffs, since the age of 14, when they met at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Saskatchewan, Canada. They were roommates and became good friends. Since then they have gone on to being teammates with the Rimouski Océanic and also with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lecavalier currently resides in Tampa's Davis Islands.He is featured in . Lecavalier wears number 4 to honour Jean Béliveau.

During the release of the video game NHL 06, EA Sports featured Lecavalier as the cover boy for the game. He proceeded as the cover boy by Vancouver Canucks captain Markus Naslund while Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin succeeded him for the role.

In October 2007, Lecavalier pledged $3 million to a new All Children's Hospital facility under construction in St. Petersburg, Florida. The facility will be named the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in his honor.

Career statistics

International play

Lecavalier has played for Canada in:

*1998 World Junior Championships
*2001 World Championships
*2004 World Cup of Hockey (gold medal)
*2006 Winter Olympics

International statistics

Awards

Minor leagues

*1997-98: QMJHL First All-Star Team
*1997-98: QMJHL Mike Bossy Trophy (Top Draft Prospect)
*1996-97: QMJHL Michel Bergeron Trophy (Top Rookie Forward)
*1996-97: CHL Rookie of the Year
*1997-98: CHL First All-Star Team

NHL

*2002-03: NHL All-Star Game Participant
*2003-04: Stanley Cup
*2006-07: NHL All-Star Game Participant
*2006-07: Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy
*2007-08: NHL All-Star Game Participant (East Captain)
*2007-08: King Clancy Trophy

International

*2004-05: 2004 World Cup of Hockey MVP

References

External links

*nhlprofile|8467329
*hockeydb|26809
* [http://www.tampabaylightning.com Tampa Bay Lightning Official Site]
* [http://www.vincentlecavalier.com Vincent Lecavalier Official Site]

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Persondata
NAME = Lecavalier, Vincent
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Canadian ice hockey centre
DATE OF BIRTH = April 21, 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH = L'Île-Bizard, Quebec
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =