Alphonse Lacroix

Alphonse Albert Lacroix (October 21, 1897 – April 12, 1973), known as "Al" or "Frenchy", was an American ice hockey goaltender who is best known as a member of the silver medal-winning American ice hockey team at the 1924 Winter Olympics, and as the emergency goaltender who replaced Georges Vezina when he collapsed in a game in 1925.

Career Lacroix was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and began his hockey career playing for the high school team in 1914. By 1917 he began playing in the Boston city senior amateur league. He joined the Boston Athletic Association in 1919 and played for their hockey team in the city senior league and later the United States Amateur Hockey Association. He was selected to the United States Olympic team at the 1924 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.

In 1925 he was retained by the National Hockey League as an emergency goaltender, on hand to replace any of the clubs' goalies should they suffer serious injury. His only experience at the top professional level came in 1925 when he replaced the Montreal Canadiens' Georges Vezina.

Vézina was unknowingly suffering from tuberculosis. Running a fever of 102 °F and coughing up blood on the ice, Lacroix relieved Vézina at the start of the second period of the opening game of the 1925–26 Montreal Canadiens season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 28. By December 15 the Canadiens had signed Herb Rheaume as Vézina's permanent replacement. Lacroix would stay on with the Canadiens as a spare goaltender until 1927, but never played another game in the NHL.

Lacroix continued his career in the Can-Am League and the semi-pro North East Hockey League. He retired from hockey in 1931.

He died in Lewiston, Maine.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T Min GA SO GAA GP W L Min GA SO GAA 1914–15 Newton High School HS-MA 7 5 1 1 294 15 0 2.04 1 1 0 40 1 0 1.00 1915–16 Newton High School HS-MA 7 5 2 0 280 9 2 1.29 — — — — — — — 1916–17 Newton High School HS-MA 8 7 0 1 320 10 4 1.25 — — — — — — — 1917–18 Boston Navy Yard USNHL 11 7 4 0 455 22 3 1.93 — — — — — — — 1919–20 Boston A.A. Unicorns Exhib 3 2 1 0 135 8 0 2.67 — — — — — — — 1920–21 Boston A.A. Unicorns USAHA — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1921–22 Boston A.A. Unicorns USAHA 1 1 0 0 45 2 0 2.00 — — — — — — — 1922–23 Boston A.A. Unicorns USAHA 9 9 0 0 405 10 4 1.11 4 3 1 180 4 1 1.00 1923–24 Boston A.A. Unicorns USAHA 6 3 3 0 270 10 1 1.67 3 1 2 180 8 0 2.67 1924–25 Boston A.A. Unicorns USAHA 21 15 6 0 955 40 4 1.88 4 1 3 150 10 1 3.00 1925–26 Montreal Canadiens NHL 5 1 4 0 280 16 0 3.43 — — — — — — — 1927–28 Providence Reds Can-Am 4 1 3 0 250 12 0 2.88 — — — — — — — 1927–28 Lewiston St. Doms NEHL 22 8 12 2 1350 42 5 1.87 5 — — 305 16 0 3.15 1928–29 Lewiston St. Doms NEHL 4 3 1 0 240 9 0 2.25 3 2 1 240 8 1 2.67 1929–30 Providence Reds Cam-Am 1 1 0 0 60 2 0 2.00 — — — — — — — 1930–31 Boston Tigers Cam-Am 4 1 3 0 240 13 0 3.25 — — — — — — — NHL totals 5 1 4 0 280 16 0 3.43 — — — — — — —

International Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA 1924 United States OLY 5 4 1 0 225 6 4 1.20 Senior totals 5 4 1 0 225 6 4 1.20