Jean-Claude Tremblay

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Lore & Background

After an amateur and minor professional career that saw him move from playing as left winger to defenceman and win the league most valuable player title in 1960, Tremblay began play for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1959–60 season and became a regular player for Montreal in the 1961–62 season, playing for five Stanley Cup-winning teams. He became one of the NHL's preeminent stars on defence, playing in seven NHL All-Star Games and setting the franchise record for points by a defenceman, and was recognized as a first team All-Star in 1970–71 and a second team All-Star in 1967–68. For the 1972–73 season, he jumped to the WHA with the Quebec Nordiques, losing his spot on Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, though he later was named to Team Canada for the 1974 Summit Series. He considered the first season in the WHA the greatest thrill of his career. He was the Nordiques' first great star and the WHA's first great defenceman, winning the league's best defenceman award in 1972–73 and 1974–75, and being named to the WHA's Team Canada in 1973–74. He led the league in assists in 1973 and 1976, and led his team to the 1977 AVCO World Trophy championship. He was the only player to play for the Nordiques in all seven WHA seasons, retiring after 1978–79. His number 3 jersey was retired by the Nordiques after that season, making him one of only three players to have a number retired by an NHL team without ever playing for it. He later scouted in Europe for the Montreal Canadiens. In 1979, he donated a kidney to his daughter. He died of kidney cancer on December 7, 1994, at age 55.

In Their Own Story

For the 1972–73 season, Tremblay left Montreal to join the Quebec Nordiques, a move that cost him his place on Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series. He later called this first WHA season the greatest thrill of his career. As the franchise's first great star, he led the league in assists in both 1973 and 1976. In 1974–75, he was named to the WHA Second All-Star Team after leading that club in defensive scoring while earning First All-Star honors again. His leadership culminated in guiding the Nordiques to the 1977 AVCO World Trophy championship. Tremblay was the only player to suit up for the Nordiques during all seven of their WHA seasons, retiring after 1978–79. Over that span, he played 454 games, scoring 66 goals and adding 358 assists for 424 points. Just before the franchise moved to the NHL, Quebec retired his number 3 jersey. This made him one of only three players to have a number retired by an NHL team without ever playing in it there.

Reader's Guide

Tremblay played defence for the Montreal Canadiens (NHL) and Quebec Nordiques (WHA). He won five Stanley Cups (1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971) and the AVCO World Trophy (1977). He was an NHL All-Star seven times (1959, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972), a first-team NHL All-Star in 1971, and a second-team NHL All-Star in 1968. In the WHA, he won the Dennis A. Murphy Trophy (best defenceman) in 1973 and 1975, and was named to the WHA First All-Star team in 1973, 1975, and 1976, and the Second All-Star team in 1974. He led the WHA in assists in 1973 and 1976. His number 3 was retired by the Nordiques.

Did You Know?

• Tremblay was the only player to play for the Quebec Nordiques in all seven seasons of the WHA.
• He donated a kidney to his daughter in 1979.
• He was elected as an inaugural member of the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
• A street in Vaudreuil-Dorion and an arena in La Baie (now part of Saguenay) are named after him.