Jacques Lemaire

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size = 180px
position = Forward
played_for = Montreal Canadiens
shot =
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 180
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1945|9|7|mf=y
birth_place = Lasalle, PQ, CAN
draft =
draft_year =
draft_team =
career_start = 1967
career_end = 1979
halloffame = 1984

Jacques Gerard Lemaire (born September 7, 1945 in Lasalle, Quebec) is a former ice hockey forward and current coach of the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League.

Career

Playing career

Playing his entire NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, Lemaire won the Stanley Cup a remarkable eight times 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979. He is one of only six players to have scored two Stanley Cup winning goals. (82 & 83 Mike Bossy, 70 & 72 Bobby Orr, 77 & 79 Jaques Lemaire, 66 & 71 for Henri Richard, 60 & 65 Jean Believeau and 44 & 46 Toe Blake) A model of consistency, Lemaire scored at least 20 goals in each of his 12 seasons. He retired from the NHL after the 1978–79 season. In 853 career NHL games, he recorded 366 goals and 469 assists for a total of 835 points.

He also won two more Stanley Cups as assistant general manager with Montreal in 1986 and 1993.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player in 1979, Lemaire traveled to Switzerland to begin a career in coaching. Lemaire was head coach of the Canadiens from 1983-1985 and the New Jersey Devils from 1993 to 1998, winning the Stanley Cup in 1995 for 11th time, and the Jack Adams Award in 1994 and 2003. Lemaire has been head coach of the Minnesota Wild since June 19, 2000, the first ever (and only) head coach of the organization.

Lemaire is known to be an unorthodox NHL Hockey coach for several reasons. First, he plays a defensive-minded hockey system often using a strategy called the "neutral zone trap",cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCM/is_1_32/ai_107896436|title=Unlocking the Trap - defense - Industry Overview|date=November 2003|last=Kreiser|first=John|publisher=Hockey Digest|accessdate=2006–09–03] or a variant of the trap. Second, Lemaire rarely posts permanent lines and is known to shift players up and down lines, often within games. Moreover, unique to NHL teams, the Wild under Lemaire's tenure has never named a permanent team captain, choosing instead to rotate the captaincy between players on a month-to-month basis.

Lemaire is also known to be one of the best coaches for working with and meshing both young players and veterans. He spends much time in evolving young rookies to reach potential and demands adaptation from veterans to perfect his hockey system.

Lemaire is the uncle of Boston Bruins goaltender and former Wild player, Manny Fernandez.

Coaching Record

ee also

* List of NHL head coaches
* List of NHL players
* Notable families in the NHL

References

*Jacques Lemaire-Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum [http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=P198402#photo] Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006.

External links

*Legendsmember|Player|P198402|Jacques Lemaire
*hockeydb|3095|Jacques Lemaire
* [http://devilsdaily.com Lemaire regarded as top coach]

Navboxes|list1=