I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, Kirkwood.
There was an outdoor rink, and I remember my dad taking me and windmilling me around.
Just the speed of the glide and the wind hitting your hair, I thought, I really want to learn
how to do this.
I want to learn how to skate.
From those early days outdoors, Pat Lafontaine perfected his skating.
He moved to the Detroit suburbs where he played for Peter Carmanos' Compuher team, before
beginning his major junior career with Verdun of the QMJHO.
Leaving your senior year to go play hockey in Montreal that was unheard of, we ended
up winning the President's Cup in the Montreal Forum in front of 18,000 people.
By I.D.
it was Gila Fleur and Gilles Verperot, so to kind of have that opportunity and play in
a city like Montreal was pretty special.
Lafontaine was selected third overall in 1983 by the New York Islanders and joined the team
shortly after representing the United States at the 1984 Olympic Games.
He came in, fit in right away.
I mean, just a tremendous young talent that really added another dimension to our team.
Patty is one of the most incredible skaters that I've ever seen.
He could just step by players.
It didn't even look like he was picking his skates off the ice, he would just kind of
shuffle.
Just smooth as silk, turn on a dime, move around, his agility was unbelievable.
He was just absolutely beautiful to watch.
He just came off four Stanley Cups and the adjustment early on seemed to fall right in
place and we ended up playing for that fifth Stanley Cup.
But the Islanders fell short to a new dynasty, the Edmonton Oilers.
The playoff experience matured Lafontaine and in the early hours of Easter Sunday, 1987,
in game seven of the Patrick Division semifinals, he cemented his place as an Islanders legend.
Halfway through the fourth overtime, Jimmy Pickard, our trainer, said, hey, you're gonna
pop one in.
I feel it.
I took a water bottle, squeezed it down the back of my neck and the next shift, I heard
the post.
I thought, oh shoot, you know, and then I saw everything kind of stop.
I was just pure adrenaline with the games finally over.
Lafontaine firing the shot and winning the series.
Lafontaine had four straight, 40 plus goal seasons with the Islanders.
In October 1991, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres where he put up staggering point totals
skating with Alexander Mogilny, including 148 in 1992 and 93.
He made everybody around him so much better.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Lafontaine.
That Lafontaine set up Alex Mogilny left and right.
Despite only being 5'10", he was fearless in going into the hard areas of the ice him.
He'd go to the middle, he'd go to the net hard, he wasn't afraid to go to the corners.
Patti would be willing to take the hit to make the play.
You know, you just couldn't brush him off into the corner and let him go wide, he was
gonna throw the puck away.
He would hang on to it to the very last second.
He scored at least 40 goals three times with the Sabres,
but his fearless play left him vulnerable to injuries,
causing La Fontaine to miss most of the 1996-97 season
with a concussion.
He was traded to the Rangers in September 1997
and averaged almost a point per game
before injuries would ultimately end his career.
The game of hockey has taught me the life lessons,
respect, leadership, commitment, sacrifice.
Everything in my life, the core and the center,
stems from hockey.
