Gaetan_Duchesne
Gaétan Duchesne
Canadian ice hockey player (1962–2007)
Gaétan Joseph Pierre Duchesne (July 11, 1962 – April 16, 2007) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player.
| Gaétan Duchesne | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
(1962-07-11)July 11, 1962 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Died |
April 16, 2007(2007-04-16) (aged 44) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Washington Capitals Quebec Nordiques Minnesota North Stars San Jose Sharks Florida Panthers | ||
| NHL Draft |
152nd overall, 1981 Washington Capitals | ||
| Playing career | 1982–1998 | ||
Duchesne was born in Quebec City, Quebec. As a youth, he played in the 1974 and 1975 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Quebec City.[1]
Duchesne was drafted in 1981 by the Washington Capitals. He played six seasons with the Capitals, becoming the first scorer of the franchise's current record-fastest back-to-back goals, with only six seconds elapsing before a second goal was scored by Mark Taylor in a 4–2 win over the Chicago Black Hawks. He was then dealt to the Quebec Nordiques in the trade that sent Dale Hunter to the Capitals. He also played for the Minnesota North Stars, helping to guide them to their improbable appearance in the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals.
He later played for the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers. In 1,028 NHL games, he scored 179 goals and 254 assists.
Starting in 2008, the Capitals have awarded the Gaetan Duchesne Trophy to the best intra-squad team in training camp scrimmages.[2]
Duchesne died of a heart attack at the age of 44 in Quebec City.[3][4][2]
His son, Jeremy Duchesne, is a former goaltending prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers.
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Ste-Foy Gouverneurs | QMAAA | 25 | 3 | 12 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 46 | 9 | 28 | 37 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 1980–81 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 72 | 27 | 45 | 72 | 63 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1981–82 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 74 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 77 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 52 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1982–83 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 79 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 29 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1984–85 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 67 | 15 | 23 | 38 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 1985–86 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 39 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 1986–87 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 74 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 53 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1987–88 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 80 | 24 | 23 | 47 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 70 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 72 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1990–91 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 68 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 34 | ||
| 1991–92 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 73 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 102 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1992–93 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 84 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 84 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 28 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | ||
| 1994–95 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 33 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,028 | 179 | 254 | 433 | 617 | 84 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 97 | ||||
- "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
- "The Gaetan Duchesne Cup". Capitals Insider - WashingtonPost.com Blog. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- "Former NHL forward Gaetan Duchesne dead of cardiac arrest at age 44". The Hockey News. The Canadian Press. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
- "One-time Nordique Gaetan Duchesne dead at 44". CBC.ca. April 16, 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com