Biography of Ian Laperriere
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Ian completed his seventh full season with the Kings in 2002-03 and led the team in penalty minutes with 122. He played 73 games and scored 19 points. Ian co-led the league with four short-handed assists and was tied for fifth in the NHL in shorthanded points with five (1g/4a). He averaged 15:46 of ice time per game. Ian played in his 500th game as a King on January 13 versus San Jose, becoming the 15th player in history to play in 500 games with Los Angeles. He appeared in his 600th NHL game January 22 at Anaheim. At year's end, he again received both the Kings' Ace Bailey Memorial Award (most inspirational) in voting by his teammates and Most Popular Player awards as selected by the Kings Booster Club. He was also LA's nominee for the NHL's Masterton Trophy and King Clancy Award. That season, Ian missed nine games due to injury: four with a neck strain, two with a back strain, and three with a sprained knee.
In 2003-04, Ian scored 22 points in 62 games as the Kings missed the playoffs for the second straight season. He scored 10 goals, reaching the double-digit mark for the first time since his rookie season. He had a three-game point/assist streak (3a) from October 23 to 30, and he played a season-high 21:36 and was +1 November 19 versus Nashville. He missed 19 games from November 26 to January 6 with a concussion suffered on November 25 against New Jersey. He netted two goals on a career-high seven shots on January 20 versus Calgary. He registered a goal and an assist on February 10 at Minnesota, and matched a career-high for points in a game with three (2g/1a) against Columbus on February 21. He potted two goals on four shots versus Nashville on February 23. Ian was the Kings Community Service Award winner for 2003-04 as selected by the Kings Care Foundation. On April 5, Ian and Magali's second son Zachary was born. On July 2, 2004, Ian signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Avalanche. His 1010 career penalty minutes with the Los Angeles Kings ranks fifth on the club's all-time list.
Ian was an immediate success in Colorado during the 2005-06 season, posting the best points totals of his career, and quickly becoming a firm favorite with the Avalanche fans. He scored 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points, far ahead of his previous bests of 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points which came in his rookie season with the St. Louis Blues in 1994-95. He played in all 82 games for the first time in his career. He led the Avs with 116 penalty minutes and 12 fighting majors. He led all NHL forwards with 92 blocked shots. He logged a season-high 19 penalty minutes on October 8 at Dallas. He scored two goals while playing in his 700th career NHL game, October 19 versus Los Angeles. He scored his first career overtime goal on October 29 versus Vancouver. Ian was named alternate captain when Steve Konowalchuk went out with an injury in mid-November. He recorded a career high three assists on January 5 at Minnesota, which also matched his career best for points in a game. He collected three points again on March 19 at San Jose (2g/1a). He scored the winning goal with 3:36 left in regulation on January 11 versus Montreal. He recorded a pair of fighting majors on January 28 versus Vancouver. He scored his 20th goal of the year on April 8 versus St. Louis, surpassing the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. In doing so, he became the first Avalanche player to score 20 goals and compile 100 penalty minutes in a season since 1998-99 (Lemieux, Forsberg). During the post-season, Ian finished second on the Avalanche with 26 hits. He assisted on Alex Tanguay's OT winner in Game Three (CQF) versus Dallas on April 26. He also racked up 17 penalty minutes in Game One (CSF) at Anaheim on May 5.
In 2006-07, Ian's 21 assists and 29 points were the second most of his career. He led the Avalanche in penalty minutes with 133, which was the fifth highest total of his career and his most since 2000-01 (141). He surpassed 100 PIM's for the 10th time in his last 11 seasons, and was the first Avalanche player to record back-to-back 100 PIM campaigns since Scott Parker in 2000-01 and 2001-02. He led the Avalanche with 17 fighting majors, tied with Buffalo's Andrew Peters for second in the NHL (George Parros - 18). He ranked first among Colorado forwards with 85 hits. He scored his 100th career goal on October 29 versus Minnesota. He collected a fighting major in four consecutive games, November 7-15. He skated in his 800th NHL game on November 28 at Calgary. He scored a season high two goals on March 21 at Edmonton. He missed his first game since joining the Avalanche when he sat out with a groin injury on March 29 at Phoenix, which ended a streak of 162 consecutive games played dating back to 2004. He selected by his teammates to be the Avalanche's nominee for the King Clancy Trophy, given to the player who demonstrates leadership and humanitarian contribution in his community. He was also one of three recipients of the 2007 Chopper Travaglini Award, which is presented to the team players that best exemplify Chopper's legacy of giving back to children in the community.