HOCKEY NOTES

Guy Carbonneau

Center

5-11 185

b. 18 Mar 1960 Sept-Iles, Quebec

Of the dozens of hockey stars to come out of the province of Quebec, perhaps no one made such a dramatic shift from offense to defense on entering the NHL as Guy Carbonneau. This tall, slim center started with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in late 1976 at the age of 16. Improving by the day, he followed up a 141-point season with 72 goals and 182 points in 72 games in 1979-80. The Montreal Canadiens, who were always looking for more speed and skill, found Carbonneau an attractive possibility. The Canadiens drafted Carbonneau 44th overall in the 1979 Entry Draft.

In the wake of four straight Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s, Montreal devoted itself to building a more defensively minded outfit. With the departure of several key players, the timing couldn't have been better for Carbonneau. He fit into the new check-first-ask-questions-later system in Montreal, the one that would eventually make high-octane players like Guy Lafleur obsolete. Carbonneau was willing to check, and check, and check. Carbonneau had a unique blend of speed, skill, and defensive ability. Playing with the likes of Mario Tremblay, Mats Naslund, Bobby Smith, and Mike McPhee, Carbonneau blossomed into possibly the top defensive forward of his time. He could also score -- he had point totals of 47, 54, 57, and 56 in his first four seasons. In Montreal's successful Stanley Cup run in 1986, Carbonneau played brilliantly, scoring 12 points in 20 playoffs games and checking like a madman. In 1993, he figured huge in another championship. In August 1994, after 12 seasons in Montreal, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues. A little over a year later, he was shipped off to the Dallas Stars.

In his prime, Carbonneau was one of those players who could hurt you in more than one way. Patrick Roy owes more than a few of his shutouts to the shot-blocking genius of Carbonneau. The checking center from Sept-Iles, Quebec, was worth over 200 goals, three Selke trophies, and three Stanley Cup rings. 

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