Denis Gauthier, Jr. (born October 1, 1976) is a Canadian former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
. A first round selection of the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
at the
1995 NHL Entry Draft, Gauthier played for the Flames,
Phoenix Coyotes,
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
and
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
during his ten-season
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) career.
Playing career
Gauthier played four seasons of major-junior hockey with the
Drummondville Voltigeurs
The Drummondville Voltigeurs are a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The franchise was originally granted for the 1982–83 season, and is based in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, playing its home games at ...
of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The ...
. He holds the franchise record for most goals by a defenceman in one season, 25, and had his number 21 retired by the Voltiguers in 2009.
Known for his big open-ice hits, this physical, defensive player was the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
' first-round draft pick, 20th overall, in the 1995 Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in 1997 and quickly established himself as a powerful presence on the blue line.
He played only the first round of the Flames' 2004 playoff run after suffering a knee injury in Game 6 against the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
. He later underwent surgery on his
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
on May 21.
In the 2004 off-season, he was traded to the
Phoenix Coyotes in a deal also involving
Daymond Langkow
Daymond Randolph Langkow (born September 27, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was the fifth overall selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played junior hockey with the Tri-City American ...
and
Oleg Saprykin
Oleg Dmitrievich Saprykin (russian: Олег Дмитриевич Сапрыкин; born February 12, 1981) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. Saprykin played with HC Dynamo Moscow, SKA Saint Petersburg, HC Sochi and Avtomobilist ...
. During the 2006 trade deadline, Gauthier was traded to the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
for
Josh Gratton
Josh Gratton (born September 9, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who last played for the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. Gratton played in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Phoenix ...
and 2 second round draft picks. Prior to the 2007-08 season, Gauthier was waived by the Flyers and was assigned to the
Philadelphia Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During schedule ...
. He spent the entire season with the Phantoms, and following the season was waived again on June 30, 2008. The following day, he was traded along with a 2010 second round draft pick to the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
for
Patrik Hersley
Patrik Hersley (born June 23, 1986) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman.
Playing career
Being a native of Malmö and beginning his career in Malmö Redhawks, at the time regularly oscillating between Elitserien ( SHL) and Hocke ...
and Ned Lukacevic.
On February 2, 2009, Gauthier was suspended for five games for a high elbow head shot to
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
defenseman
Josh Gorges
Joshua Daniel Gorges (born August 14, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is of German ancestry; his grandparents immigrated from Germany to Canada. Gorges played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose ...
. On February 21, 2009, Gauthier was suspended for two games for boarding on an icing call to
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Denis Marleau (born September 15, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. With 1,779 NHL games played, he is the all-time leader in games played in league history. He passed the record previously held by Gordie Howe ...
.
Kings' Gauthier Suspended For Two Games
nhl.com, February 21, 2009
Awards
QMJHL
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The le ...
:
*Emile Bouchard Trophy The Émile Bouchard Trophy is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, to the "Defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing te ...
, 1995–96
*First Team All-Star, 1995–96
Canadian Hockey League
*First Team All-Star, 1995–96
IIHF U20 World Championship
*Gold Medal, 1995–96
Personal life
Gauthier's father, Denis Sr., was a professional wrestler, and his mother Joanne is the sister of former wrestlers Jacques
Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
, Armand and Raymond Rougeau
Raymond Rougeau (born February 18, 1955) is a Canadian politician, former professional wrestler and French language commentator. He most notably worked for the World Wrestling Federation between 1986 and 2002, firstly as one of The Fabulous Rou ...
. His nephew Julien Gauthier
Julien Gauthier (born October 15, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Gauthier was drafted 21st overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He ha ...
was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
See also
Rougeau wrestling family The Rougeau wrestling family is a family of French Canadian professional wrestlers, with the first Rougeau member taking up wrestling in the 1940s. So far four generations of the family have been involved in professional wrestling starting with Edd ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gauthier, Denis
1976 births
Living people
Calgary Flames draft picks
Calgary Flames players
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Drummondville Voltigeurs players
French Quebecers
Los Angeles Kings players
Ice hockey people from Montreal
Philadelphia Flyers players
Philadelphia Phantoms players
Phoenix Coyotes players
Saint John Flames players
Ice hockey people from Quebec