Gilles Marotte

Jean Gilles "Captain Crunch" Marotte (June 7, 1945 – July 26, 2005) was a Canadian defenceman in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.

Gilles Marotte
Born	(1945-06-07)June 7, 1945 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died	July 26, 2005(2005-07-26) (aged 60) Verdun, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Chicago Black Hawks Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers St. Louis Blues Cincinnati Stingers Indianapolis Racers
Playing career	1965–1978

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marotte played junior hockey for the Victoriaville Bruins in Quebec before joining the Niagara Falls Flyers of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1963. He was a first-team all-star on the Flyers team that won the 1965 Memorial Cup. Both of his junior teams were affiliated with the Boston Bruins, and Marotte began his NHL career with the Bruins in 1965. In May 1967, he was part of one of the biggest trades in NHL history as one of three players sent to Chicago in the deal where Boston acquired Phil Esposito.

Marotte spent most of the next three seasons with the Black Hawks before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in February 1970. While with the Kings in January 1971, Marotte broke rookie Darryl Sittler's wrist with a cross-check, giving him the most serious injury of his career. Marotte represented the Kings at the 1973 National Hockey League All-Star Game and scored a career-high 45 points that year. The next season, he was sent to the New York Rangers in the trade where the Kings acquired their future captain and coach, Mike Murphy. Marotte played in New York for three years. At the beginning of the 1976–77 season, Marotte was claimed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues, and spent time in the minor leagues for the only time in his career, playing for the Kansas City Blues in the Central Hockey League. The next season, Marotte jumped to the World Hockey Association to join the Cincinnati Stingers. He was traded mid-season to the Indianapolis Racers and finished his career there in 1978, retiring at the age of 33. Over his 13 seasons as a professional, Marotte appeared in 808 NHL games and 73 WHA games.

Marotte died of pancreatic cancer in 2005.

Awards and achievements

• QJHL First All-Star Team (1963)
• OHA-Jr. First All-Star Team (1965)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1973)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1961–62	Victoriaville Bruins	QJHL		43	15	28	43	—		10	1	3	4	6
1962–63	Victoriaville Bruins	QJHL		52	12	25	37	—		10	1	7	8	20
1963–64	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr.		56	12	34	46	160		4	0	0	0	9
1963–64	Niagara Falls Flyers	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		13	4	9	13	30
1964–65	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr.		52	12	25	37	122		11	2	0	2	50
1965–66	Boston Bruins	NHL		51	3	17	20	52		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Boston Bruins	NHL		67	7	8	15	112		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		73	0	21	21	122		11	3	1	4	14
1968–69	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		68	5	29	34	120		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		51	5	13	18	52		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		21	0	6	6	32		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		78	6	27	33	96		—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		72	10	24	34	83		—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		78	6	39	45	70		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		22	1	11	12	23		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	New York Rangers	NHL		46	2	17	19	28		12	0	1	1	6
1974–75	New York Rangers	NHL		77	4	32	36	69		3	0	1	1	4
1975–76	New York Rangers	NHL		57	4	17	21	34		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	St. Louis Blues	NHL		47	3	4	7	26		3	0	0	0	2
1976–77	Kansas City Blues	CHL		26	1	10	11	46		7	2	0	2	2
1977–78	Cincinnati Stingers	WHA		29	1	7	8	58		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Indianapolis Racers	WHA		44	2	13	15	18		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				808	56	265	321	919		29	3	3	6	26

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database