Larry Robinson
| Larry Robinson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1995 | |||
 Robinson as part of the 2008 Legends Classic game. | |||
| Born | (1951-06-02) June 2, 1951 Winchester, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens Los Angeles Kings | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL Draft | 20th overall, 1971 Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 1973–1992 | ||
Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2, 1951) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils (on which he held on two separate occasions), as well as the Los Angeles Kings. For his play in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings, Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[1] In 2017, Robinson was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".[2] Larry is the brother of Moe Robinson.
Contents
1 Playing career
2 Coaching career
3 Polo and horse racing
4 Career statistics
4.1 Regular season and playoffs
4.2 International
4.3 Coaching career statistics
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Playing career
Larry Robinson played Junior 'A' hockey with the Brockville Braves of the CJHL and Juniors with the Kitchener Rangers then turned professional, spending 1971 to 1973 with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League before making it to the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens.
Nicknamed "Big Bird" in part for his size (6'4" and 225 pounds), Robinson was a big and strong yet highly mobile defenceman. He played 17 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens and another three seasons for the Los Angeles Kings, until his retirement after the 1992 season. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy twice (1976-77 and 1979-80) as the league's most outstanding defenceman and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 1978 playoffs. He was named to the league's first all-star team thrice and the second all-star team also thrice. His peak years were 1976-77 to 1980-81, although he had a strong comeback season at age 34 in 1985-86 when he was again named to the second all-star team and scored 82 points, just three shy of his career high of 85 (1976-77). Robinson was a dominant player whose talent and leadership helped lead the Canadiens to six Stanley Cups.
Robinson was a member of Team Canada in the 1976, 1981 and 1984 Canada Cup tournaments and was an international All-Star team selection in the 1981 IIHF World Championships. During his career, he played in ten of the league's All-Star games and ended his 20-year career having scored 208 goals, 750 assists and 958 regular-season points as well as 144 points in 227 playoff games, a remarkable achievement for a defenceman. He holds an impressive career plus-minus rating of +730, the NHL career record, including an overwhelming +120 in 1976–77 (second only to Bobby Orr's record plus-124 in 1970–71, and with Orr, the only two players to have a plus-minus rating of +100 or greater for a season). He won the Stanley Cup six times with the Canadiens, in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1986. Together with Nicklas Lidstrom, Robinson holds the NHL record for most consecutive playoff seasons with 20, 17 of them with the Canadiens.[3][4]
Robinson has been honoured for his playing career. In 1995, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was ranked number 24 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 2000, he was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. On November 19, 2007, the Canadiens retired Robinson's No. 19 jersey before a loss against the Ottawa Senators.[3] Larry Robinson's name appears on the Stanley Cup nine times, as a player/coach/scout.
Coaching career
Following his retirement, Robinson was hired as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils in 1993. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1995 with the Devils, he was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, the same year he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He left the Los Angeles team at the end of the 1998–99 season and signed on as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils once again. Named interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils on March 23, 2000, Robinson guided his team to win the 2000 Stanley Cup. He recounted to journalist Scott Morrison:[5]
| “ | Considering how long I played hockey and how many Cups I got to win as a defenseman with Montreal, it was my first Stanley Cup win as a head coach that is actually my greatest day in hockey. | ” |
He stayed on as head coach for the next year and again guided the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost against the Colorado Avalanche in seven games.
Robinson was fired during the 2001–02 season, but returned as an assistant coach just before the 2002–03 season to win his 9th Stanley Cup in 2003.
When Pat Burns suffered a recurrence of cancer, Robinson again assumed the mantle of head coach on July 14, 2005. This stint came to an end on December 19, 2005, when Robinson resigned, citing stress and other health problems.[6]
Robinson returned to the Devils prior to the 2007–08 season as an assistant coach under Brent Sutter. Prior to the 2008–09 season, Robinson left from behind the Devils' bench to become a special assignment coach between the organization's prospects in Lowell, Mass., and the Devils.[7]
Robinson's contract ended with the New Jersey Devils in the summer of 2012. He indicated he was interested in becoming an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens, however that post was filled with former Hab J.J. Daigneault soon after. Robinson then was appointed an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks on July 10, 2012.[8] On May 23, 2014, the Sharks added director of player development to Robinson's role.[9] In 2017, at the end of his five-year contract with the Sharks, Robinson left the organization.[10] He is currently a Senior Consultant to Hockey Operations for the St. Louis Blues.
Polo and horse racing
Robinson was raised on a Marvelville, Ontario farm and as a boy, he grew up with a love of horses. While living in the rural area of St-Lazare outside of Montreal, Robinson became a co-founder with former teammate Steve Shutt, Michael Sinclair-Smith and local veterinarian Dr. Gilbert Hallé of the Montreal Polo Club at Sainte-Marthe, Quebec.
While playing in Los Angeles, Robinson became involved in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing through a partnership with Kings owner Bruce McNall's Summa Stable.[11] Among their racing successes, Down Again won the 1990 Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita Park.[12]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| | | Regular season | | Playoffs | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1969–70 | Brockville Braves | CJHL | 40 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Ottawa M&W Rangers | CJHL | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1970–71 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA-Jr. | 61 | 12 | 39 | 51 | 65 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 1971–72 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 74 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 54 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 31 | ||
| 1972–73 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 38 | 6 | 33 | 39 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 36 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | ||
| 1973–74 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 66 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | ||
| 1974–75 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 14 | 47 | 61 | 76 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 27 | ||
| 1975–76 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 59 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 1976–77 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 19 | 66 | 85 | 45 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12 | ||
| 1977–78 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 13 | 52 | 65 | 39 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 6 | ||
| 1978–79 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 67 | 16 | 45 | 61 | 33 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 1979–80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 72 | 14 | 61 | 75 | 39 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 65 | 12 | 38 | 50 | 37 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 71 | 12 | 47 | 59 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1982–83 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 71 | 14 | 49 | 63 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 74 | 9 | 34 | 43 | 39 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 22 | ||
| 1984–85 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 76 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 44 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 1985–86 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 19 | 63 | 82 | 39 | 20 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 22 | ||
| 1986–87 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 13 | 37 | 50 | 44 | 17 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 1987–88 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 53 | 6 | 34 | 40 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1988–89 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 74 | 4 | 26 | 30 | 22 | 21 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 12 | ||
| 1989–90 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 64 | 7 | 32 | 39 | 34 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 1990–91 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 62 | 1 | 22 | 23 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15 | ||
| 1991–92 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 56 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 1384 | 207 | 751 | 958 | 793 | 227 | 28 | 116 | 144 | 211 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Canada | CC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1979 | NHL All-Stars | Exhib. | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
1981 | Canada | WC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
1981 | Canada | CC | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
1984 | Canada | CC | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 31 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | |||
Coaching career statistics
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| LA | 1995–96 | 82 | 24 | 40 | 18 | — | 66 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| LA | 1996–97 | 82 | 28 | 43 | 11 | — | 67 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| LA | 1997–98 | 82 | 38 | 33 | 11 | — | 87 | 2nd in Pacific | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals |
| LA | 1998–99 | 82 | 32 | 45 | 5 | — | 69 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| LA total | 328 | 122 | 161 | 45 | — | .441 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 1 playoff appearance | ||
| NJ | 1999–2000 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | (103) | 2nd in Atlantic | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won Stanley Cup |
| NJ | 2000–01 | 82 | 48 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 111 | 1st in Atlantic | 15 | 10 | .600 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals |
| NJ | 2001–02 | 51 | 21 | 20 | 7 | 3 | (95) | (fired) | — | — | — | — |
| NJ | 2005–06 | 32 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 5 | (101) | (resigned) | — | — | — | — |
| NJ total | 173 | 87 | 56 | 19 | 11 | .590 | 31 | 17 | .646 | 2 playoff appearances 1 Stanley Cup | ||
| Total | 501 | 209 | 217 | 64 | 11 | .492 | 31 | 21 | .596 | 3 playoff appearances 1 Stanley Cup | ||
See also
- Notable families in the NHL
References
^ "Larry Robinson". oshof.ca/. Retrieved September 25, 2014..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
^ ab "Larry Robinson joins Canadiens legends with retirement of his No. 19 jersey". The Canadian Press. 2001–2007. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
[dead link]
^ Morrison, Scott (2008). Hockey Night in Canada: My Greatest Day. Toronto: Key Porter Books. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-55470-086-8.
^ CBC Sports (December 21, 2005). "Larry Robinson resigns as Devils coach". CBC News. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
^ Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger (July 22, 2008). "Robinson won't be behind N.J. Devils' bench this season". Retrieved February 19, 2009.
^ Montreal Gazette (July 10, 2012). "Larry Robinson finds his way to San Jose". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ "Sharks Name Larry Robinson Associate Coach & Director of Player Development". San Jose Sharks. May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
^ "Director of player development Larry Robinson won't return to Sharks". ESPN. May 26, 2017.
^ "HIGH WEIGHT MAY CAUSE BAYAKOA TO SKIP SANTA MARGARITA 'CAP". Daily News of Los Angeles. February 15, 1990.
^ "Down Again Lauded After Victory". Los Angeles Times. February 15, 1990.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Guy Lafleur | Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy 1978 | Succeeded by Bob Gainey |
| Preceded by Denis Potvin | Winner of the Norris Trophy 1980 | Succeeded by Randy Carlyle |
| Preceded by Denis Potvin | Winner of the Norris Trophy 1977 | Succeeded by Denis Potvin |
| Preceded by Rogatien Vachon | Head coach of the Los Angeles Kings 1995–99 | Succeeded by Andy Murray |
| Preceded by Robbie Ftorek | Head coach of the New Jersey Devils 2000–02 | Succeeded by Kevin Constantine |
| Preceded by Pat Burns | Head coach of the New Jersey Devils 2005 | Succeeded by Lou Lamoriello |
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