John LeClair #10

Last updated on July 11, 1998

John Leclair




John was originally selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (33rd pick overall) of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers along with Gilbert Dionne and Eric Desjardins for Mark Recchi and 1995 third-round pick (Martin Hohenberger) on Feb. 9, 1995.

Given his finishing skills from the slot and the goalmouth, LeClair is like the reincarnation of the immovable Tim Kerr, the skating aircraft carrier who buried pucks by the bucketfull for the Flyers of yesteryear. LeClair is big enough to post up in front and piledrive through the melees for all the rebounds, deflections and garbage goals his teammates can create. He also has enough power in his skating and confidence in his strength to cut in from the wing and drive to the net, but the left wing's attributes as a scorer far outweigh his abilities as a puckhandler; if the puck were a football, you could imagine him putting it under his arm, lowering his head and ramming it across the goal line. LeClair's game emerged last season from whatever remained of the shell in which it resided during his Montreal days. After working on the quickness of his release, LeClair has a ferociously strong shot, and though he was, at one time, a reluctant shooter, those days clearly have passed. Now, he simply launches a rocket at the net--usually from a high-percentage area of the ice--and lets the goalie worry about the rest.

LeClair may be the strongest man in the league, both in front of the net and behind it, and is just about impossible to push off the puck legally. He wants to win the puck, wants the puck in the net and will use every ounce of his strength to try to put it there. He always draws the attention of at least one defender, but accepts his role willingly. Because of a long reach and a big body LeClair finds a way to place himself between the puck and the defender. Those times when he has a defender under each arm behind the net, LeClair happily will kick the puck to the front. The frequent disappointment is that he puts so much into winning the puck behind the goal line but doesn't really have the deft touch to make a smooth relay to someone who might be driving to the net. His passing skills are rather dubious and his puck-handling skills are rather erratic. Detroit succeeded in neutralizing LeClair in the Stanley Cup finals by forcing him to carry the puck, instead of driving to the net without it. Until recently, LeClair merely was a strong hitter; now, he often is a mean hitter. With that size and strength, the combination can be devastating. More often than not, though, he remains a gentle giant. He plays hard, but clean, and really is much easier to control if you play him the same way.

Displaying the durability lacked by his Legion of Doom linemate, Eric Lindros, LeClair has more than made clear that his success is not dependent on assists from his tower-tall centre. After all, LeClair was a standout at World Cup, at which his team opposed Lindros's--as it will at Nagano in February. The only thing that matches his size is the respect LeClair has gained around the league.

LeClair scores goals on his knees, on his back, whatever. He isn't happy until the puck has been put in the net--either by himself or by a teammate. At 28, he is entering prime time, and should score another 50.

Montreal Canadiens Statistics

REGULAR SEASONPLAYOFFS
GPGAPTSPIMGPGAPTSPIM
91-92598111914
92-937219254433
93-947419244332
94-95914510
TOT.214476411189


Philadelphia Flyers Statistics

REGULAR SEASONPLAYOFFS
GPGAPTSPIMGPGAPTSPIM
94-953725244920
95-968251469764
96-978250479744
97-988251368732
98-997643479030
TOT.359220200420200




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