Ian Laperriere

Ian Laperriere (born on January 19, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).

He spent nine seasons of his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings and also spent time with the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and the Philadelphia Flyers. Ian is currently an assistant coach for the Flyers.

Playing Career
Ian played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 1990 to 1993.

He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues of the NHL in the 7th round and pick number 158 in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

On March 3, 1994, Ian made his NHL debut with the Blues on March 3, 1994. On December 8, 1995, he was traded to the New York Rangers for Stephane Matteau.

On March 14, 1996, he was traded with Ray Ferraro, Mattias Norstrom, Nathan LaFayette and a draft pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla.

Ian was a mainstay on the Kings roster from 1996 until 2004. On July 2, 2004, he signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Ian (affectionately known as "Lappy" to his fans) was an immediate success with Colorado in the 2005–06 NHL season, posting the best points totals of his career.

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 in the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season. He quickly became a favorite with the Avalanche fans.

On October 29, 2006, Ian scored the 100th goal of his career on October 29, 2006, against the Minnesota Wild. He also passed 800 career games on November 28, against the Calgary Flames in a 5–2 loss.

On April 1, 2009, Ian fought with David Hale of the Phoenix Coyotes for his 52nd hockey fight in an Avalanche jersey, passing Scott Parker in all time franchise fighting majors.

On April 3, 2009, he was announced as the Avalanches' Masterton Trophy nominee for the 2008–09 season.

On April 11, 2009, Ian played in his 1000th NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks in a 0–1 home overtime loss. He led the team that year with 163 penalty minutes, just one more minute than Cody McLeod.

On July 1, 2009, Ian signed a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers after being unable to agree to a new deal with the Avalanche.

On November 27, 2009, he was hit with a slapshot in the mouth while killing a penalty at the end of the first period against the Buffalo Sabres. He sat out the second period receiving between 50 and 100 stitches but returned for the third period.

Ian also played the following night against the Atlanta Thrashers. He lost seven teeth resulting from the incident (two fake and five real).

A similar event occurred during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 22, 2010. Ian was hit in the face near the end of a New Jersey power play, resulting in an orbital injury, and a mild concussion.

He was listed as out indefinitely and his return to the playoffs was considered unlikely, however, after missing the Flyers second round series versus the Boston Bruins he returned for game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.

In the May 2010 edition of the The Hockey News, Ian was awarded THN's John Ferguson Award for "Toughest Player in the NHL" in the 2009–10 season.

However, Ian's postseason play came at a cost. During training camp in September of 2010, he experienced symptoms of post-concussion syndrome and nerve damage to his eyes from being hit in the face twice by pucks the previous season and was announced as out for the entire 2010-11 season just before the season began.

Ian was put on injured reserve before the season began, being placed on long-term injured reserve in mid-December to free up salary cap space. Doctors advised him to retire although Ian did not do so at the time.

The move was repeated again for the 2011–12 season to free up cap space as Ian's symptoms have not subsided; his number 14 was reissued to rookie Sean Couturier.

Despite never playing again after the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, Ian continued to serve the Flyers off the ice as a mentor to younger players in the organization and in other capacities.

For that, Laperrière was awarded the 2011 Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance in the sport of hockey.

On June 12, 2012, Ian officially retired. On June 29, 2012, he was named the director of Player Development for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Personal Life
Ian and his wife Magali have two sons: Tristan (born in March of 2002) and Zachary (born in April of 2004).

On August 30, 2011, he was sworn in as a naturalized U.S. citizen in a ceremony in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

Ian portrayed Montreal Canadiens Hall Of Famer Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion in the 2005 Quebec film "Maurice Richard" which is based on the life of the title individual.

In 2012, he appeared in the movie "This is 40" alongside Scott Hartnell, James Van Riemsdyk and Matt Carle. Megan Fox wore his teeth in the movie.