Pat LaFontaine, 60, Inducted into Islanders Hall of Fame in Emotional Ceremony

Pat LaFontaine was inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame before their game with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The induction ceremony culminated a decades-long dispute between the Islanders and LaFontaine, having to do with his rocky 1992 trade. However, that is all over.

He was finally, deservedly, inducted into the Islanders’ Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor in an emotional pregame ceremony with most of his family looking on. Part of the emotion was that his wife was ill and not able to join the ceremony, and his son-in-law had recently died.

Pat LaFontaine’s Playing Career

LaFontaine was a great hockey player, one of the best American-born players ever. He is 60 years old now, but was a great hockey player when he was active. As far as his statistics go, he scored 468 goals during his 15-year playing career. He scored 287 goals for the Islanders. His highest scoring season ever was 1992-1993 with the Buffalo Sabres. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres the year before in an acrimonious salary dump by the Islanders.

He played for the Buffalo Sabres for six seasons before playing his final season for the New York Rangers. That makes him part of an answer to a trivia question. He played for all three New York teams in hockey. Martin Biron is the only other hockey player to play for all three teams. After that little side track, we will get back to his statistics.

He was a fantastic skater. As such, he was a playmaker who had 545 assists in his career. His best assist season was the 1992-1993 season with the Buffalo Sabres. He had 95 assists. His most with the Islanders was 51. He is remembered as not just a goal-scorer, but a playmaker.

Interestingly, LaFontaine joined the Islanders as an 18-year-old, fresh off the 1984 Olympics. He joined the Islanders in the 1983-1984 season, as the Islanders were driving for their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup. They were unsuccessful, but LaFontaine played with many of the great players from the Islander’s dynasty seasons. He is thus a bridge from the great dynasty years to modern times.

Pat LaFontaine Now: Continued Greatness

LaFontaine is not just a Hall of Fame hockey player; he is a Hall of Fame person. It seems few Long Islanders have not been touched by LaFontaine. The 60-year-old, who still lives on Long Island (in Huntington), runs his Champions in Courage Foundation long after his playing career ended.

He went way past his allotted three minutes of speaking time, in large part because he had so many people to thank. That was fine, as Islanders fans were forgiving. He grew emotional when talking about his family members who could not be in attendance: son-in-law Randal McCoy and his wife, Mary Beth.

McCoy, he said, died of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, just a week ago, whereas Mary Beth is having health issues. LaFontaine called her his “best friend” and dedicated the honor to her. He then called his grandson, Patrick, up to the microphone to give a “Let’s go Islanders” to the crowd. The crowd responded in kind.

Conclusion

Here is a crazy story about LaFontaine that tells you what kind of person he is. When I was a freshman in high school, my friend was a gigantic fan of both LaFontaine and Mets pitcher, Dwight Gooden. Both LaFontaine and Gooden wore No. 16.

When we were assigned lockers, he got number 1616. He got sick, had two liver transplants, and died before our senior year. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he got to meet LaFontaine. When he died, LaFontaine sent flowers to his wake. I had the locker cemented shut.