Yvon Lambert

For the Luxembourgian photographer, see Yvon Lambert (photographer).

Yvon Lambert
Born	(1950-05-20) May 20, 1950 Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres
NHL draft	40th overall, 1970 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1970–1984

Yvon Pierre Lambert (born May 20, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward.

Lambert was born in Drummondville, Quebec. Although drafted in 1970 by the Detroit Red Wings, Lambert started his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1973. He spent nine years in Montreal before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres. Lambert is best known for scoring the winning goal in overtime of game seven of the 1979 Stanley Cup Semi-Finals against the Boston Bruins, the culmination of an exciting game most memorable for a career-damaging coaching error by Don Cherry with two minutes left in regulation. Lambert won four consecutive Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1976 to 1979. Lambert played his final two seasons with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL), winning the 1982-83 Calder Cup. He retired after the Americans lost to the Maine Mariners in Game 5 of the 1983-84 Calder Cup Finals.

After being traded to Montreal, a year after being drafted by the Red Wings, Lambert thought he would never make it to the NHL since the Canadiens had a young and talented squad. It was his desire to get back to Detroit, which had an aging squad at the time, including Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, that made him push himself to perform well with the Port Huron Flags since every young player at time knew they would probably have a chance to replace these players.

After a great season with Port Huron, Ned Harkness, the Red Wings coach, told Lambert that if he stayed in form he would have a good chance to be given another chance with the Red Wings the following season. In August 1972, Lambert was surprised by reading in the newspaper that his services were being kept by the Canadiens. He stated in French, "During the first day at the camp, at the forum of Montreal, there was 80 players and I find myself next to Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard, Jacques Lemaire, and Larry Robinson. Whew! I felt so small".

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1968–69	Drummondville Rangers	QJAHL		—	29	37	66	—		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Drummondville Rangers	QMJHL		52	50	51	101	89		6	7	4	11	16
1970–71	Port Huron Flags	IHL		65	23	18	41	81		14	8	1	9	32
1971–72	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL		67	18	21	39	116		15	4	4	8	28
1972–73	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL		76	52	52	104	84		13	9	9	18	32
1972–73	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		60	6	10	16	42		5	0	0	0	7
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		80	32	35	67	74		11	4	2	6	0
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		80	32	35	67	28		12	2	3	5	18
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		79	24	28	52	50		14	3	3	6	12
1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		77	18	22	40	20		15	2	4	6	6
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		79	26	40	66	26		16	5	6	11	16
1979–80	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		77	21	32	53	23		10	8	4	12	4
1980–81	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		73	22	32	54	39		3	0	0	0	2
1981–82	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		77	25	39	64	38		4	3	0	3	2
1982–83	Rochester Americans	AHL		79	26	22	48	10		12	2	4	6	2
1983–84	Rochester Americans	AHL		79	27	43	70	14		18	8	11	19	2
AHL totals				301	123	138	261	224		58	23	28	51	64
NHL totals				683	206	273	479	340		90	27	22	49	67

Fan base

Before a playoff game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins, on May 6, 2014, Lambert met with thousands of fans in front of the Bell Centre in Montreal to encourage them.

Lambert also encourages and helps "Hockey Garage Leagues" to organize games internationally. He has helped with this hockey international company over 28,000 players to play internationally. He has also helped teams by coaching them.

He can still be found volunteering his time and efforts as a coach for the Ancien Canadiens. (Montreal Canadiens Old Timers hockey team).

Yvon Lambert with a fan before the Montreal vs Boston 2014 Round 2 game, picture taken May 6th 2014

External links

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