Leo Lafrance

Leonard Joseph LaFrance (November 3, 1902 – April 7, 1993) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played 34 games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Black Hawks during the 1926–27 and 1927–28 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1921 to 1936, was spent in different minor leagues. He was born in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes, Quebec, but grew up in Coniston, Ontario. His nickname was "The Flying Frenchman"

Playing career LaFrance played the position of Left Wing for the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens from 1927 to 1928, and the Chicago Black Hawks from 1927 to 1928. His total NHL career consisted of 34 games played and 2 goals scored. Prior to joining the NHL, LaFrance was noted as a decent goal scorer with several minor league teams including the Sudbury Cub Wolves of the NOJHA, Iroquois Falls Papermakers of the NOHA, and the Duluth Hornets of the USAHA and CHL. His best year in hockey was from 1930–31 when as a member of the AHA's Tulsa Oilers he scored 42 points.

After hockey He retired from playing hockey following the 1935–36 season with the Seattle Seahawks of the NWHL. His honors include being a member of the CHL Second All-Star Team in 1935. During World War II, he worked in an ordinance plant for the Johnson and Lord company. LaFrance later took a job as an electrician and estimator for the Universal Electric Company, in Duluth, Minnesota. He retired in 1969. He spent the rest of his life living quietly in Duluth, and spending time with friends and family, and died peacefully in 1993 at the age of 90.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1920–21 Sudbury Cub Wolves NOJHA 2 2 2 4 — 5 7 4 11 — 1921–22 Iroquois Falls Flyers NOHA — — — — — 7 7 5 12 — 1922–23 Iroquois Falls Papermakers NOHA — — — — — — — — — — 1923–24 Iroquois Falls Papermakers NOHA 8 2 1 3 15 — — — — — 1924–25 Duluth Hornets USAHA 31 6 0 6 — — — — — — 1925–26 Duluth Hornets CHL 40 8 2 10 28 8 1 1 2 12 1926–27 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1926–27 Duluth Hornets AHA 37 12 4 16 41 3 2 0 2 0 1927–28 Montreal Canadiens NHL 15 1 0 1 2 — — — — — 1927–28 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 15 1 0 1 4 — — — — — 1927–28 Kansas City Pla-Mors AHA 13 1 0 1 8 3 0 0 0 2 1928–29 Tulsa Oilers AHA 40 19 7 26 33 4 0 0 0 4 1930–31 Tulsa Oilers AHA 48 27 15 42 41 4 3 0 3 6 1931–32 Tulsa Oilers AHA 48 11 5 16 51 — — — — — 1932–33 Duluth Hornets AHA 39 16 8 24 32 — — — — — 1933–34 Duluth Hornets CHL 14 0 0 0 41 — — — — — 1933–34 Tulsa Oilers AHA 31 6 10 16 35 4 1 0 1 0 1934–35 Minneapolis Millers CHL 46 16 11 27 26 5 2 3 5 2 1935–36 Rochester Cardinals IHL 9 1 0 1 7 — — — — — 1935–36 Calgary Tigers NWHL 3 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1935–36 Seattle Seahawks NWHL 26 8 5 13 24 4 3 2 5 2 AHA totals 256 92 49 141 241 18 6 0 6 12 NHL totals 34 2 0 2 6 — — — — — Source