Jean-Baptiste "Jack" Laviolette (July 17, 1879 – January 10, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Laviolette played nine seasons for the Montreal Canadiens hockey club and was their first captain, coach, and general manager.
Laviolette was one of the first francophone ice hockey stars. He was born in Belleville, Ontario, but grew up in Valleyfield, Quebec. He was a solid scorer from the defenceman position, but Laviolette's true place in hockey history has less to do with his scoring prowess and more to do with his role as a founding organizer of the Canadiens hockey club. He was their first player, coach, and general manager in their inaugural 1910 season.
With the formation of the National Hockey Association (NHA) in December 1909, (replaced 7 years later by the NHL), team/league owner Ambrose O'Brien asked Laviolette to put together a team made up of French Canadian players to play as the "Les Canadiens" franchise in Montreal. Laviolette completed the task in time for the NHA's inaugural season. Among those that would sign on to that first team would be future hall of famers Newsy Lalonde, Didier Pitre. The team he built would go on to be the most successful franchise in professional hockey.
Playing career
Laviolette, front row holding a dog, with the 1912–13 Montreal Canadiens.
He then starred for the new Montreal Canadiens franchise from 1910 until 1918, both in the NHA and the NHL, scoring 51 goals in 156 games, and winning the Stanley Cup in 1916.
Laviolette lost his right foot in an automobile accident on May 1, 1918, ending his playing career.[1] A benefit game for Laviolette was arranged at the Mount Royal Arena in 1921. He was the guest of honour, and also refereed.
Playing style
Laviolette with the Montreal Canadiens.
"Jack could skate backwards as fast as most skaters could, or can, skate forward."
Primarily a defenceman position wise, Laviolette was renowned for his strong skating and his marvelous speed, which helped dub the Montreal Canadiens team The Flying Frenchmen.[2] He would occasionally also play as a forward.[3]
Player, coach, and executive Lester Patrick, who was a contemporary player of Laviolette and later a coach in the NHL with the New York Rangers, claimed that Laviolette could skate as fast backward as most other players could skate forward. On the other hand, despite Laviolette having solid goal-scoring upside both as a defenceman and as a forward, Patrick also claimed that Laviolette "lacked a sense of direction" to his game, which he claimed hindered him from reaching the superstar status of his fellow Montreal teammates Didier Pitre and Newsy Lalonde.[2]
Laviolette was known as a clean and gentlemanly player, both in hockey and on the lacrosse field, which combined with his genial disposition on and off the sports venues made him a popular character in the various sports circuits. Outside of hockey and lacrosse, his fascination for speed also brought his attention to motorcycle racing and flying machines.[3]
