Jacques Lemaire

Jacques Lemaire
Born	Jacques Gérard Lemaire (1945-09-07) September 7, 1945 Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey player, coach
Years active	1967–1979 (player), 1983–2011 (coach)
Known for	Eight-time Stanley Cup champion as player; 1995 Stanley Cup champion as coach; inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984; one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players"

Jacques Gérard Lemaire (born September 7, 1945) is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward and coach who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. Throughout his entire twelve-season tenure in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played exclusively for the Montreal Canadiens (1967–1979), helping secure eight Stanley Cup titles in the years 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. In recognition of his impact on the sport, Lemaire was honored in 2017 as one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players."

Lemaire’s NHL coaching career spanned seventeen seasons with three teams: the Canadiens (1983–1985), the New Jersey Devils (1993–1998, 2009–2011), and the Minnesota Wild (2000–2009). By 2025, he ranked among only 24 coaches who have surpassed 600 victories. Notably, he guided the Devils to their inaugural Stanley Cup championship during the 1994–95 campaign.

Following his retirement after the 2010–11 NHL season, Lemaire shifted into special assignment coaching roles with the Devils before later joining the New York Islanders, having previously held a similar position with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Playing career

Lemaire is one of just six NHL players to have netted two Stanley Cup-winning goals, accomplishing this feat in both 1977 and 1979. Renowned for his reliability, he consistently scored a minimum of 20 goals each season throughout his twelve-year playing career. After the conclusion of the 1978–79 season, he retired from NHL play to pursue a playing coach position in Switzerland. Over his NHL career spanning 853 games, Lemaire amassed totals of 366 goals and 469 assists, culminating in 835 points. Early in his career, he developed a notably powerful slapshot, considered second only to Bobby Hull in terms of velocity and precision. In Ken Dryden’s acclaimed book The Game, Lemaire’s on-ice partnership with teammate Guy Lafleur is praised for their complementary speed and shooting abilities.

After the 1978–79 season, Lemaire declined a five-year contract offer from the Canadiens worth $225,000 annually, which led to his departure from NHL play.

Coaching career

On June 15, 1979, Lemaire signed a three-year agreement to serve as player, coach, and general manager for HC Sierre, earning an annual tax-free salary of $75,000 with full control over his contract. He described this decision as an adventurous move aligned with his aspirations in coaching.

His North American coaching debut came in 1981 when he took on an assistant coach role at SUNY Plattsburgh. He was head coach of the Canadiens from 1983 until 1985 and later led the New Jersey Devils between 1993 and 1998. During this period, he secured the Stanley Cup in 1995 and received the prestigious Jack Adams Award twice—in 1994 and again in 2003. Lemaire also served as the first head coach of the Minnesota Wild, holding that position from their inception in 2000 until 2009. Additionally, he contributed to Montreal’s Stanley Cup victories in 1986 and 1993 as assistant general manager.

Lemaire became known for an unconventional coaching philosophy that prioritized defense-first tactics, frequently utilizing the neutral zone trap. He favored rotating line combinations instead of fixed lines and chose not to designate a permanent captain for the Wild, instead rotating captaincy monthly. His reputation includes nurturing young players while effectively managing veteran athletes; however, his defensive approach occasionally led to disputes with star players like Marián Gáborík. Despite such criticism, his New Jersey Devils team during the 1993–94 season ranked second league-wide by scoring with a total of 306 goals.

In June 2009, Lemaire joined Team Canada as an assistant coach for the Winter Olympics held in 2010, helping secure a gold medal for the team. On July 13 of that year, he returned to serve as head coach of the Devils.

Lemaire recorded his 200th win with New Jersey on October 8 during the 2009–10 season. Although he initially announced retirement on April 26, 2010, he resumed coaching duties on December 23 after John MacLean was relieved as head coach, aiding in revitalizing the team’s playoff hopes.

On February 10, 2011, Lemaire reached a milestone by earning his 600th regular-season victory—becoming only the eighth NHL coach to do so. He officially stepped away from coaching duties with New Jersey on April 10 that same year.

Later on August 14, 2015, Lemaire accepted a special assignment coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In September of 2018, following Lou Lamoriello’s lead role changeover, Lemaire joined the New York Islanders in a comparable capacity. His contributions were further recognized when he was inducted into the New Jersey Devils Ring of Honor on January 22, 2025.

Personal life and legacy

Lemaire is related to former NHL goalie Manny Fernandez as his uncle. His influence on the regional sports scene is commemorated by a hockey rink named in his honor located in LaSalle, Quebec.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1962–63	Lachine Maroons	QJHL		42	41	63	104	—		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		42	25	30	55	17		17	10	6	16	4
1964–65	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		56	25	47	72	52		7	1	5	6	0
1964–65	Quebec Aces	AHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA		48	41	52	93	69		10	11	2	13	14
1966–67	Houston Apollos	CPHL		69	19	30	49	19		6	0	1	1	0
1967–68	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	22	20	42	16		13	7	6	13	6
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		75	29	34	63	29		14	4	2	6	6
1969–70	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	32	28	60	16		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		78	28	28	56	18		20	9	10	19	17
1971–72	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		77	32	49	81	26		6	2	1	3	2
1972–73	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		77	44	51	95	16		17	7	13	20	2
1973–74	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		66	29	38	67	10		6	0	4	4	2
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		80	36	56	92	20		11	5	7	12	4
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		61	20	32	52	20		13	3	3	6	2
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		75	34	41	75	22		14	7	12	19	6
1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		76	36	61	97	14		15	6	8	14	10
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		50	24	31	55	10		16	11	12	23	6
1979–80	HC Sierre	SWI-2		28	29	16	45			—			—
1980–81	HC Sierre	SWI-2		38	49	38	87	—		—			—

Coaching record

Team	Season	Regular season							Post season
		GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Standing	Outcome
MTL	1983–84	17	7	10	0	–	75	4th in Adams	Eliminated in Conference finals (NYI)
MTL	1984–85	80	41	27	12	–	94	1st in Adams	Defeated in Division finals (QUE)
NJD	1993–94	84	47	25	12	—	106	2nd in Atlantic	Exited in Conference finals (NYR)
NJD	1994–95	48	22	18	8	—	52	2nd in Atlantic	Captured Stanley Cup (DET)
NJD	1995–96	82	37	33	12	—	86	6th in Atlantic	Did not qualify for playoffs
NJD	1996–97	82	45	23	14	—	104	1st in Atlantic	Lost in Conference semifinals (NYR)
NJD	1997–98	82	48	23	11	—	107	1st in Atlantic	Defeated in Conference quarterfinals (OTT)
MIN	2000–01	82	25	39	13	5	68	5th in Northwest	Failed to reach playoffs
MIN	2001–02	82	26	35	12	9	73	5th in Northwest	Missed postseason
MIN	2002–03	82	42	29	10	1	95	3rd in Northwest	Eliminated in Conference finals (ANA)
MIN	2003–04	82	30	29	20	3	83	5th in Northwest	Did not make playoffs
MIN	2005–06	82	38	36		8	84	5th in Northwest	Missed postseason
MIN	2006–07	82	48	26		8	104	2nd in Northwest	Lost in Conference quarterfinals (ANA)
MIN	2007–08	82	44	28		10	98	1st in Northwest	Knocked out in Conference quarterfinals (COL)
MIN	2008–09	82	40	33		9	89	3rd in Northwest	Did not qualify for playoffs
NJD	2009–10	82	48	27		7	103	1st in Atlantic	Eliminated in Conference quarterfinals (PHI)
NJD	2010-11	49	29	17		3	(79)	4th in Atlantic	Did not advance to playoffs
Overall		1262	617	458	124	63	1421	.563	One Stanley Cup title, 10 playoff berths