When Darryl Laplante made the decision to leave professional hockey in 2004 there was no notion he would ever return.
As a forward he played in minor professional hockey for most of seven gruelling seasons. Laplante did have a few ìcups of coffeeî with the Detroit Red Wings, playing in 35 NHL games and collecting six assists over parts of three seasons. Although he did not play for the great Motor City squad that included future Hall of Fame players Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan during its fabulous 1997-98 playoff run that led to the Stanley Cup, he was called up to practise and travel with the team.
ìBeing there for that experience was the highlight of my career,î said Laplante.
The Red Wings dropped him into the 2000 expansion draft where he was picked up by the Minnesota Wild. He did not get any further opportunities to play in the Big Show and was back permanently in the minors. The constant bus shuffles from one team to another, as well as feeling like he was nothing more than a ìcommodityî wore him down.
ìThere was no injuries stopping me from playing. I just got tired of it,î said Laplante. ìAt that time I was ready to move on with life. I wanted to get a scholarship and I moved back home to Calgary and got a scholarship.î
After earning a university degree, Laplante settled down to a wonderful and stable lifestyle that included a career as a medical sales representative in Calgary.
But something was still missing. Three years after declaring he was through with hockey the game called back. Brian Sutter was coaching the Bentley Generals in men's senior AAA hockey and Laplante got a call.
ìI was hesitant but I went up and realized that I actually still enjoyed hockey. It wasn't hockey that was so discouraging to me. It was the business side of professional hockey,î said Laplante. ìWhat I get coming back is the love of the game. There is no business involved with this league or team. It is just a matter of playing and having a good time and being around the guys.î
After playing four seasons under Sutter in Bentley, Laplante took another year off from hockey but then followed his old coach to Innisfail for this season. At the age of 36, he has proven to be a true leader for the Eagles' team.
ìHe was probably the best all around player in Bentley in all the years I coached there and he was a guy that should have played a lot longer in the NHL,î said Sutter, who knows Laplante as ìLappyî. ìHe's a character guy you can count on all the time in every situation. He can play left wing, centre and right wing. He can even play defence for us.
ìYou put all those things together and push them in the middle of the table and there is a big pile. It all comes to leadership. That's all Lappy is. He is a consummate pro. He's a quality guy.î
Laplante is coming off a solid first season with the Eagles. He has played in 15 games, scoring four goals and adding four assists. Last weekend the Eagles began their playoff drive to the Allan Cup finals in Ontario against the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs. Laplante was eager to contribute with the enviable skills that have earned him the respect from the man who convinced him to come to Bentley and then to Innisfail.
ìIn any league you play and you've got a good relationship with the coach where he's got confidence in you to play in situations that you may not otherwise,î said Laplante. ìI feel Brian has that confidence in me and I am fortunate enough to play on the power play and on one of the top three lines, as well as on the penalty kill in certain situations.î
And while his name was not engraved on the Stanley Cup for his past ride with Detroit in 1998, he does have a shot at the storied Allan Cup, awarded annually since 1909 to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada.
ìI think we have a great team here. Any team can win on a given night. It makes the league more competitive and exciting,î said Laplante. ìI think we've got a real good chance of going all the way.î
