Biography of Ian Laperriere
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During the 2007-08 season, Ian led Colorado with 20 fighting majors and was also the team leader in penalty minutes with 140. He surpassed 100 PIM's for the 11th time in his last 12 seasons and became the first Avalanche player with three consecutive 100 PIM seasons since Jeff Odgers from 1997-98 to 1999-2000. He ranked third on the club in hits with 101. He surpassed 1,500 career penalty minutes on October 7 versus San Jose. He matched his career high with three points (2g/1a) on November 7 versus Edmonton. Ian missed 12-of-13 games due to a knee injury suffered on November 11 versus Minnesota. He returned to the ice on December 13 at Nashville and scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory. He appeared in his 900th NHL game on February 6 at San Jose. Ian recorded two points (1g/1a) in 10 games during the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In Game Four (CQF) versus Minnesota on April 15, he had an assist and racked up 15 penalty minutes. He appeared in his 50th career playoff game in Game Six (CQF) versus Minnesota on April 19. He scored his third career playoff goal---and first since April 21, 2001---in Game Two (CSF) at Detroit on April 26. In June 2008, Ian was one of four men honored by the American Diabetes Association and the Denver Father's Day Council as a "Father of the Year."
In 2008-09, Ian led the team with 163 penalty minutes, the second-highest total of his career, and the most PIM by an Avalanche player since 2003-04 (Peter Worrell 179). This also marked the fourth consecutive season (and 12th time overall) that he surpassed 100 penalty minutes, making him the first player in Avalanche history to reach that mark in four straight years. He ranked first among Colorado forwards in blocked shots (69) and was third in hits (103), and he also led the club with 17 fighting majors. He now has 66 major penalties since joining the club in 2005-06, the second-most in Avalanche history (Jeff Odgers 72). Ian recorded his fourth career "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" with a goal, assist and fight on October 23 versus Edmonton, and in doing so became the first Avalanche player to register a Gordie Howe Hat Trick since Matthew Barnaby on March 14, 2004 versus Phoenix. He missed eight games, January 6-21, after injuring his back on January 4 versus Minnesota, and was placed on Injured Reserve, January 17 (retroactive to January. 4). He was activated on January 27. He logged a season-high 20 minutes in penalties, including a game misconduct, on March 27 versus Vancouver. He played in his 1,000th NHL game on April 11 versus Vancouver — the same opponent that he faced in his very first NHL game in 1994. He was also honored as the Avalanche's nominee for the 2009 Bill Masterton Trophy.
More facts...
Ian and his family live in Blainville, Quebec during the summer months. His most memorable hockey moment came while playing at the Memorial Cup in 1991. His most memorable moment away from the rink came when he met his wife, Magali. His favorite sports to watch are golf and football, and he lists the Montreal Alouettes as his favorite non-hockey team. He played former Canadiens great "Boom Boom" Geoffrion in the movie "Maurice Richard" - an independent film about the legendary hockey player released in 2005. In 1998 he appeared on MTV's Road Rules. Ian is actively involved in helping the Ronald McDonald House, and he has also lent his time to Big Brother and Big Sister of America. He also visits youth hockey practices as part of Colorado Avalanche Player Clinics and also gives his time to the team's "Break the Ice" program and Colorado Special Hockey for mentally and physically challenged individuals. If he were not a hockey player, he would be a policeman. Ian's first job was delivering newspapers. His favorite NHL city is Chicago. His hobbies include playing golf, video games, and watching movies. His favorite movie is Braveheart, and his favorite musicians include U2, Coldplay and The Killers. He lists Bono as the person he would most like to meet. His favorite restaurant is Fleming's Steakhouse. His hockey superstition is that he hits each of his teammates hand/glove before every period.
Sources:
NHLPA.com
ColoradoAvalanche.com
La LNH, un rêve possible, by Luc Gélinas (2008)
Wikipedia.org
Los Angeles Kings Royal Reign