J. C. Tremblay

Joseph Henri Jean-Claude Tremblay (trawm-BLAY; January 22, 1939 – December 7, 1994)^[1] was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association (WHA), notable for playmaking and defensive skills.

Playing career

After an amateur and minor professional career that saw him move from playing as left winger to defenceman and win the league most valuable player title in 1960, Tremblay began play for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1959–60 season and became a regular player for Montreal in the 1961–62 season, playing for five Stanley Cup-winning teams. He became one of the NHL's preeminent stars on defence for both his offense and defensive work, playing in seven NHL All-Star Games and setting the franchise record for points by a defenceman, and was recognized as a first team All-Star in 1970–71 and a second team All-Star in 1967–68 seasons.

For the 1972–73 season, Tremblay jumped to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Quebec Nordiques, which had negotiated with the Los Angeles Sharks for his rights. He later considered the first season in the WHA the greatest thrill in his career.^[2] He was the Nordiques franchise's first great star, as well as the league's first great defenceman, winning the league honours for best defenceman in 1972–73 and 1974–75 seasons and being named to the WHA's Team Canada in 1973–74, leading that club in defensive scoring. Tremblay also led his team to the 1977 AVCO World Trophy championship. He was the only player to play for the Nordiques' all seven seasons in the WHA and retired after the 1978–79 season. His number 3 jersey was retired by the Nordiques after that season just before the franchise's move into the NHL, thus gaining Tremblay the distinction of being one of only three players to have a number retired by an NHL team without ever actually playing for it (the other two being Johnny McKenzie by the Hartford Whalers and Frank Finnigan by the modern-day Ottawa Senators). He later scouted in Europe for the Montreal Canadiens.

In 1979, he donated a kidney to his daughter. Tremblay died of kidney cancer on December 7, 1994, at the age of 55.^[3]

Honours and achievements

• Won Stanley Cups in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1971
• Won Avco Cup in 1977
• At the time of leaving the Montreal Canadiens, was in the top 50 all-time National Hockey League assist leaders
• Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1959, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1972
• Dennis A. Murphy Trophy winner in 1973 and 1975
• Named to the Canada's team for the 1972 Summit Series, but dropped after he signed to play in the World Hockey Association (WHA), but named to the Team Canada roster for the 1974 Summit Series against the Soviet Union men's national ice hockey team
• Named to the WHA first All-Star team in 1973, 1975 and 1976
• Named to the WHA second All-Star team in 1974
• Led the WHA in assists in 1973 and 1976
• Played seven seasons with the Quebec Nordiques, playing in 454 games and scoring 66 goals and 358 assists for 424 points
• Second in WHA history in assists, 14th in points, and 16th in games played
• Named to NHL first All-Star team in 1971
• Named to NHL second All-Star team in 1968
• A street in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec was named after him (along with other greats)
• Elected as an inaugural member to the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame in 2010^[4]
• An arena is named after him in La Baie, Quebec (Now part of the City of Saguenay, QC)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

1. ^ Timothy Gassen (ed.) (2018). 1972-1979 WHA Guides. PCMP Press. p. 703. ISBN 978-0-9797337-5-8.
2. ^ "Winnipeg Free Press Archives, May 27, 1977, p. 60". Winnipeg Free Press. May 27, 1977. p. 60.
3. ^ "J. C. Tremblay; Hockey Player, 55". New York Times. 9 December 1994. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
4. ^ "WHA Hall of Fame Members". whahof.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2013.