Laperriere's Enthusiasm Skyrocketing
(from the Rocky Mountain News)
By Rick Sadowski
Rocky Mountain News
September 27, 2006 - CENTENNIAL - Ian Laperriere spent nine NHL seasons within a few slap shots of Disneyland, but there is no happier place on Earth for him than a hockey rink.
"I always have fun playing, even if it's just a preseason game," said the Avalanche forward, who always seems to be in a good mood.
Laperriere, 32, might have gotten the most enjoyment out of his career last season, his first in Colorado after stints with Los Angeles, the New York Rangers and St. Louis.
Projected as a grinding defensive forward with an edge to his game - he isn't afraid to drop his gloves when needed - Laperriere nearly doubled his previous career bests with 21 goals, 24 assists and 45 points while playing in all 82 regular-season games.
Laperriere led the Avalanche with 116 penalty minutes, so it wasn't as if he neglected his in-your-face style that can be so maddening for opponents. "Lappy," as he is called by his teammates, can be more than a little yappy. He also plays all three forward positions, kills penalties and even is asked to take the occasional faceoff.
"Last year was a blast," he said. "The main reason was because of the guys in the room. I was in L.A. for so long that you get comfortable, but this locker room was easy to adjust to. In L.A., I had great teammates, but I had issues with one of them; everybody knows which one."
Laperriere was referring to Kings forward Sean Avery, with whom he has had a running feud.
"Here, everybody was great," Laperriere said. "It all starts with Joe (Sakic); everybody follows him. He's a great leader, but he's also a great person."
Some of Sakic's scoring prowess must have rubbed off because Laperriere hadn't recorded more than 13 goals in any of his 10 previous NHL seasons; he netted that many in 37 games in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign while a rookie with the St. Louis Blues.
"He had a great year for us," Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said. "He brings a lot of excitement and enthusiasm to the group. He loves being at the rink, and all the guys love him. His energy in the room is contagious."
Laperriere is one of five returning 20-plus goal scorers on the roster, and the Avalanche could use a repeat performance from him now that Alex Tanguay is in Calgary, Rob Blake is in Los Angeles and Steve Konowalchuk is in limbo while awaiting test results to determine why an electrocardiogram came up abnormal.
All Laperriere, who signed a free-agent contract with the Avalanche in July 2004, can guarantee is that he'll continue to bring the same work ethic to the rink that he has since learning how to skate while growing up in Montreal.
"It would be great to score goals again, but I can't promise that," he said. "I've been in the league for so many years, and I've never put pressure on myself. I'm just going to go out there and work hard. If the opportunities are there, I'll do my best. If I score, great. I'll try to contribute wherever I can.
"I'm not saying I'm going to score 21 goals again or anything like that. I'm just going to work hard. That's the only thing I can control. I know it's a cliché, but I've been going on that cliché for years, so I'm not setting any goals for points.
"If it's a blocked shot or a fight or something like that, I'll do whatever it takes to help the team. That's how I've been playing my whole career, and I won't change this year just because last year I had a good offensive year."