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Larry Robinson

For other people named Larry Robinson, see Larry Robinson (disambiguation).

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 (which he held on two 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.

Larry Robinson
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1995
Robinson in 2008
Born (1951-06-02) June 2, 1951 (age 73)
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
Coached for Los Angeles Kings
New Jersey Devils
National team  Canada
NHL draft 20th overall, 1971
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1973–1992
Coaching career 1995–2005

Playing career

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Larry Robinson played Junior 'A' hockey with the Brockville Braves of the CJHL and Major Junior in the Ontario Hockey League 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 1991–92 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 and second all-star teams three times each. 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 +124 in 1970–71, and with Orr and Wayne Gretzky (+100 1984–85), is one of only three 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][5] Larry Robinson's name appears on the Stanley Cup ten times, six as a player, three as a coach or assistant coach and once as a scout.

Coaching career

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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. With the victory, Robinson became the first interim head coach in NHL history to guide a team to the Stanley Cup. The feat would later be accomplished by Craig Berube in 2019. Robinson recounted to journalist Scott Morrison:[6]

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 in February 2002 and just before the 2002–03 season to win his ninth 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.[7]

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.[8]

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.[9] On May 23, 2014, the Sharks added director of player development to Robinson's role.[10] In 2017, at the end of his five-year contract with the Sharks, Robinson left the organization.[11] He is currently a Senior Consultant to Hockey Operations for the St. Louis Blues.

With the St. Louis Blues defeating the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, Robinson won his tenth Stanley Cup championship.[12]

Polo and horse racing

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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 Saint-Lazare, Quebec west 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.[13] Among their racing successes, Down Again won the 1990 Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita Park.[14]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    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 1,384 207 751 958 793 227 28 116 144 211

International

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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

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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 (STL)
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 (DAL)
NJ 2000–01 82 48 19 12 3 111 1st in Atlantic 15 10 .600 Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (COL)
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

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References

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  1. ^ "Larry Robinson". oshof.ca. Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Larry Robinson joins Canadiens legends with retirement of his No. 19 jersey". nhl.com. November 19, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Numbers help tell story of Lidstrom's brilliance". NHL.com. May 31, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  5. ^ "Canadiens retire Larry Robinson's No. 19". CBC Sports. November 19, 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Morrison, Scott (2008). Hockey Night in Canada: My Greatest Day. Toronto: Key Porter Books. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-55470-086-8.
  7. ^ CBC Sports (December 21, 2005). "Larry Robinson resigns as Devils coach". CBC News. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger (July 22, 2008). "Robinson won't be behind N.J. Devils' bench this season". Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Sharks Name Larry Robinson Associate Coach & Director of Player Development". San Jose Sharks. May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  11. ^ "Director of player development Larry Robinson won't return to Sharks". ESPN. May 26, 2017.
  12. ^ "Robinson basks in Stanley Cup title as Blues senior consultant". NHL.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  13. ^ "HIGH WEIGHT MAY CAUSE BAYAKOA TO SKIP SANTA MARGARITA 'CAP". Daily News of Los Angeles. February 15, 1990.
  14. ^ "Down Again Lauded After Victory". Los Angeles Times. February 15, 1990. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012.
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Preceded by Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy
1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Norris Trophy
1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Norris Trophy
1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Los Angeles Kings
1995–99 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the New Jersey Devils
2000–02 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the New Jersey Devils
2005 		Succeeded by
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