By Joel Smart (Sports Editor) – Email
Drafted in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 61 overall, Maxim Lapierre went on to play five-and-a-half seasons within the Montreal Canadiens organization, before two quick trades this season saw him take a quick two-month stopover in Anaheim before making his way to Vancouver.
Though sometimes compared to the likes of Matt Cooke for his hitting and his propensity for getting under the skin of his opponents, Lapierre knows that to be successful in Vancouver, he will need to play with greater focus. “What happened in the past is over for me now.” He told The Vancouver Sun. “It’s great news I am with this organization now. It’s a great hockey team and they are on their way to the Cup this year, so I am glad I am here and I can help.” He owned up to the fact that he has struggled a bit this year, but remained confident that he has a part to play in the Canuck’s postseason success. “I have to be honest; I haven’t been playing my greatest hockey lately. But I know I can help this team, and I will do it. We are going into the playoffs, and that is my type of game, and I will be fine with it.”
At 207 pounds and 6’2”, the 25-year-old fourth-line centre is a big body that can absolutely benefit the Canucks if he plays with the right balance of discipline and passion. Coach Alain Vigneault knows him well, having coached him for a few seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the Prince Edward Island Rocket. Vigneault’s experience with the right-handed agitator played a role in his move to Vancouver, as the two had nothing but good things to say about each other. In fact, the Canuck coach used to play him against Sidney Crosby, who was also playing in the Quebec League at the time. “I spent three years with him in junior, and he is pretty much the first coach I had who really taught me system-wise and real hockey,” Lapierre told The Vancouver Sun. “He was in the NHL before he came to junior so he helped me a lot in my development when I was young and I’m glad I am back with him.”
Despite the fact that he doesn’t put up big numbers, at five goals and 11 points in the 59 games he played before coming to Vancouver this season, Lapierre was always a crowd favourite in Montreal. Unfortunately, his reputation is not so great with referees. While the Canucks hope his antics will draw penalties, he has been called for diving in the past, so he might do better to try playing a more honest style to clear his name.
After playing from 2001-2005 in the QMJHL, including his final season with the Rocket as team captain, he played the majority of the next year in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs as well as his first game in the NHL with the Canadiens. He finished the season with 13 points and 36 points in 73 games. In 06-07 he got to play 46 NHL games, totaling six goals and 12 points. The next year he improved to seven goals and 18 points, enough to land him a permanent position in the NHL. His best season to date came in 08-09, as he managed 15 goals and 28 points, finishing the season as a plus-nine. The following season his play dropped significantly, managing just seven goals and 14 points, and even worse, a minus 14 rating. However, in the 19 playoff games that followed, he was able to score three goals and an assist. That experience can’t hurt this time of year.
Canuck fans will hope that the man wearing number 40 will be good luck in this, the team’s fortieth year anniversary. The fact Lapierre was born in Saint-Leonard, Quebec, also bodes well for the team, the same neighbourhood that Roberto Luongo was raised in. Clearly he has a connection to this team. He’s a quick skater and even a good faceoff man – something the Canucks have come to embody this season. The trick for Lapierre will be in his execution, staying in the game with forth-line minutes, without getting so riled up he distracts himself and his team from their ultimate goal.
