Photo Credit: UVM Photo/Getty Images/Philadelphia Flyers
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Release

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Former University of Vermont and NHL star John LeClair '91 has been selected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. The St. Albans, Vt., native will join former NHL players Tony Amonte and Tom Barrasso, the 1998 U.S. Olympic women’s team and the late Frank Zamboni in USA Hockey’s class of 2009.

LeClair recorded 406 goals and 413 assists for 819 points in 967 career games over the course of 16 NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. LeClair played in 154 NHL playoff games in his career registering 42 goals and 47 assists for 89 points. The forward helped Montreal win the Stanley Cup in 1993.

LeClair played in five straight NHL All-Star games from 1996 to 2000 with Philadelphia. He was a First-Team NHL All-Star in 1995 and 1998. He became the first American-born NHL player to post three consecutive 50-goal seasons from 1995-1998.

LeClair represented the United States in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics, 1996 World Cup and the 1988 and 1989 World Junior Championships. He was drafted 33rd overall by the Canadiens in 1987. He is UVM’s highest ever draft selection.

Playing for the University of Vermont from 1987-1991, LeClair notched 56 goals and 60 assists for 116 points in 92 games. He was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team in 1988 when he helped lead the Catamounts to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. He was named to the ECAC All-Conference Second Team in 1991. LeClair was inducted into the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and was named to Vermont’s All-Time Men’s Hockey Team “The ECAC Years” in 2006.

The date of the induction ceremony for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2009 will be announced in August.