New Flyer Laperriere Has Nose For Toughness
(from the Philadelphia Daily News)
By Frank Seravalli
Philadelphia Daily News
July 15, 2009 - Paul Holmgren insists that with free-agent signee Ian Laperriere - who inked his name to a 3-year deal with the Flyers on July 1 - what you see is what you get.
If his nose is indicative of his playing style, Laperriere could be the perfect fit to the Flyers' puzzle.
Laperriere's nose, which has been busted, bruised and broken more than its fair share of times during his 15-year NHL career, slants noticeably to the right side of his face. It's a facial feature that immediately puts him in the same class as former Flyer Rod Brind'Amour.
"I'm a physical player, that's for sure. When you look at my face, you can tell," Laperriere joked yesterday afternoon while being introduced to the media for the first time as a Flyer at the team's practice facility in Voorhees, N.J.
"I know the way that I have played and I have played like that all of my life. I won't change."
Holmgren doesn't want him to change a thing.
"Ian is a player that I have coveted for a long time," the general manager said. "The best way that I can sum up Ian and what he is going to bring to our team is that he comes to play.
"I think the fans of Philadelphia are going to love his style of play and enthusiasm and his effervescence for the game. He is going to make a large impact on our team and our young players."
Laperriere, a 35-year-old winger, isn't a scorer. He netted a career-high 21 goals four seasons ago in Colorado but has scored in double digits in only two other seasons.
But he is known around the league as a feisty, high-tempo guy who excels on the penalty kill. Holmgren is hoping that a player like Laperriere can help soften the blow of losing a character guy like Mike Knuble, who signed with Washington on July 1, and provide a spark in a locker room that - at times last season - needed one.
"I'm not a goal scorer but I'll show up and do the little things right," Laperriere said with his thick French Canadian accent. "I'm not going to score goals or make that big pass, but I'll block that shot when I need to."
Teammates will be comforted to know that the 6-1, 191-pound Laperriere isn't afraid to drop the gloves when he sees something go awry on the ice.
"I don't know if I am old-school, but when I see stuff out there happening, I get that little guy on my shoulder that kind of gives me that 'let's go,' " he explained. "When any player is getting a cheap shot on the ice, I will be there. That doesn't mean I'm going to win that fight, but for sure, I will be there."
The Flyers will be a fresh start for the Montreal native. Not only is he going from a last-place team in Colorado to a Stanley Cup contender in Philadelphia, but he also is moving to the East Coast.
Only 28 of his 1,001 NHL games have come as a member of the Eastern Conference. He played briefly with the Rangers in 1996.
"Less traveling, I love it," Laperriere said. "I'm looking forward to it. Playing in LA, St. Louis and Colorado, we traveled quite a bit up there. It will be nice to be home a lot more with my kids and wife."
The easier travel schedule, with shorter flights and more bus trips, is a perk. But don't let him fool you. Laperriere came to the Flyers for a shot to win the Stanley Cup.
"When they go get guys like [Chris] Pronger and Ray Emery, and with the team they already have, it just shows you that they want to win the Cup," he said. "And when they call you and they need a guy like you to do so, it's flattering, and it's also a great challenge.
"Winning is everything. I've played many years and a lot of games, but I don't have any bling bling to show. That's the goal."
seravaf@phillynews.com