Joseph Leonard Gilles Lupien (April 20, 1954May 18, 2021) was a Canadian 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 h ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...
who played five seasons in the
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). He played for the
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 ...
,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
, and
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
from 1977 to 1982. After retiring, he became a
sports agent, businessman, and was an owner of the
Longueuil Chevaliers
The Longueuil Chevaliers ("Cavaliers") were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, playing in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada at Colisée Jean Béliveau. They were founded in 1982 and set a Canadian Hockey League record for ...
and the
Victoriaville Tigres
The Victoriaville Tigres are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada. The team plays its home games at the Colisée Desjardins.
History
The franchise was gra ...
.
Lupien played three seasons of
junior hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
in 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 was drafted by the
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 ...
in 1974 and played for their minor league affiliate until 1977, when he made his NHL debut. After spending three seasons with the organization and being part of their Stanley Cup-winning teams in
1978 and
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
, he was traded to
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
before the
1980–81 season. He was then dealt to the
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
, before serving as
player–assistant of the
Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, playing in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
History
The Whalers were generally a successful team, making the playoffs seven ti ...
and retiring at the end of the
1981–82 season.
Early life
Lupien was born on April 20, 1954, in
Brownsburg-Chatham, near
Lachute
Lachute () is a town in southwest Quebec, Canada, northwest of Montreal, on the Rivière du Nord, a tributary of the Ottawa River, and west of Mirabel International Airport. It is located on Autoroute 50, at the junctions of Quebec Provincial ...
, Quebec.
He played for the
Quebec Remparts
There have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts (french: Remparts de Québec) that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The first edition played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has pla ...
,
Sherbrooke Castors
The Sherbrooke Castors or Beavers (in English) was the name of two different junior ice hockey teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and another team in the Quebec Eastern Provincial Hockey League. Both later franchises played at the Pal ...
, and
Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge
The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (''Blue, White and Red'' in English) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1972 to 1975. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
History
The Montreal Bleu ...
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 ...
(QMJHL) from 1971 to 1974.
[
]
Career
Lupien was drafted by the 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 ...
in the second round (33rd overall selection) of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. He played for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs
The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. Originally chartered as the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League, the org ...
, their minor league affiliate that were members of the American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL), and was part of their Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
-winning teams in 1976 and 1977. He played for the Voyageurs until 1977–78,[ when he made his NHL debut. At tall, he was brought in as the on-ice bodyguard of ]Guy Lafleur
Guy Damien Lafleur (September 20, 1951 – April 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Flower" and "Le Démon Blond", was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was the first player in National Hockey League (NHL) history to score 50 goals in six c ...
and an enforcer
Enforcer or enforcers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Comics
* Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character
* Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team
* New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team
Film and television
* ''The Enforcer ...
. He finished his debut season with 4 points in 46 games. His playing time in the NHL increased to 72 games during his sophomore season, in which he amassed a career-high 10 points (with 9 assists), a career-best plus–minus rating of 31, and finished eighth in the league in defensive point shares (5.6). Lupien also played in eight and 13 playoff games, respectively, en-route to the Canadiens' 1978 and 1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
Stanley Cup championships. In his final season with the Canadiens in 1979–80, he recorded eight points in 56 games, while leading the franchise in penalty minutes
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for an infringement of the rules. Most penalties are enforced by sending the offending player to a penalty box for a set number of minutes. During the penalty the player may not participate in play. Penaltie ...
with 117. He was subsequently traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
on September 26, 1980, for their third round selection of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft
The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was the 21st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did ...
.
During the first half of the 1980–81 season, Lupien had just one assist in 31 games played, with a plus–minus rating of −15. He was traded mid-season to the Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
on February 20, 1981. He played 20 games for the franchise that year (contributing two goals and four assists), before playing only one game the following year, in what turned out to be his final season in the NHL. He subsequently acted as player–assistant of the Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, playing in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
History
The Whalers were generally a successful team, making the playoffs seven ti ...
in the AHL, recording 20 points in 53 games,[ before retiring at the end of 1981–82.]
Post-playing career
After retiring from professional hockey, Lupien became a professional hockey agent. He notably represented goalkeepers Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo (, , ; born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo is a two ...
, acting as the latter's agent for 19 years. He was also the agent of Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier (born March 31, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Selected in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, Bernier would play for the Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, Vanco ...
, Corey Crawford
Corey Crawford (born December 31, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Crow" by teammates and fans, he played his entire professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), w ...
, and Sean Couturier
Sean Gerald Couturier ( ; born December 7, 1992) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers selected him in the first round, eigh ...
. Lupien was the agent for an unnamed player from 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 ...
who contacted him regarding sexual advances by the team's coach Jean Bégin
Jean Bégin (1944 – November 20, 1991) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and convicted sex offender. He worked six seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and one season in the Nationale 1A league in France. He was the first ...
. Lupien later reported the incidents to the QMJHL, but the matter was disregarded as the league said there was no proof of misconduct. Bégin was later convicted.
As an agent, Lupien was a vocal proponent of improving the working conditions of players in junior ice hockey. He advocated the unionization of the Canadian Hockey League, and was of the opinion that it could assist in diminishing fighting
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
at the amateur level and result in better treatment of players by their teams. In supporting the elimination of violence in hockey on all levels, he recommended that coaches be sanctioned for any fights their players are involved in. Lupien also called for decreasing the number of games in a season and cutting down travel time, believing that the taxing schedule was responsible for the mounting drug usage among junior players. He alleged in December 2003 that approximately half of the players in the QMJHL used drugs, either for recreational purposes, to enhance their performance, or to sleep on long bus journeys.[
Lupien also worked as a businessman in the fast-food industry, initially purchasing a ]Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods
Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods is an American food company, operating as a subsidiary of Old Dutch Foods, that packages and sells snack foods. The company is named after the nursery rhyme character and features the character as the company logo. Humpt ...
before acquiring a Boston Pizza
Boston Pizza (BP), known as Boston's The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar outside of Canada, is a Canadian multinational restaurant chain that owns and franchises locations in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
History
Boston Pizza ...
franchise in West Island
The West Island () is the unofficial name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Dorval, Pointe-Cla ...
. He was also an owner of the Longueuil Chevaliers
The Longueuil Chevaliers ("Cavaliers") were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, playing in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada at Colisée Jean Béliveau. They were founded in 1982 and set a Canadian Hockey League record for ...
and the Victoriaville Tigres
The Victoriaville Tigres are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada. The team plays its home games at the Colisée Desjardins.
History
The franchise was gra ...
. The hockey arena in his hometown of Brownsburg-Chatham was named the Gilles Lupien Arena in his honour in 1985.
Personal life
Lupien had three children: Jennifer, Catherine, and Erik. He utilized the C$75,000 signing bonus from his first contract with the Canadiens to purchase shares in a lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
company in Lachute. Consequently, he was able to obtain quality lumber to construct his first home in Pine Hill.
Lupien died on May 18, 2021. He was 67, and suffered from cancer prior to his death.
Career statistics
Source:
Regular season and playoffs
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lupien, Gilles
1954 births
2021 deaths
French Quebecers
Binghamton Whalers players
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Hartford Whalers players
Ice hockey people from Quebec
Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge players
Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Montreal Canadiens players
Nova Scotia Voyageurs players
People from Lachute
People from Laurentides
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Quebec Remparts players
Sherbrooke Castors players
Canadian sports agents
Stanley Cup champions
Toronto Toros draft picks
Deaths from cancer in Quebec