Andre Lacroix, A 'Magician With The Puck,' Remembered For His 'Big Personality'

Long-time Philadelphia Flyers fans remember diminutive Andre Lacroix as the shiftiest and most exciting player on the franchise's original team in 1967-68.

Former teammates and friends remember the 5-foot-8, 175-pound center as fun-loving, gregarious man with a knack for producing in the clutch.

Lacroix, who died at 81 on Tuesday, led the Flyers in scoring in 1968-69 (56 points, including 22 goals) and 1969-70 (58 points, including 22 goals). The latter team had a rookie center named Bobby Clarke (46 points).

"He was a magician with the puck," Joe Watson said of Lacroix, his former Flyers teammate. "Andre scored a lot of big goals for us and set up a lot of big goals."

Lacroix was "so good on our power play. Our power play in those days revolved around Andre," Watson said.

Brad Marsh, the Flyers' alumni director, said Lacroix had a great time "reconnecting" with former teammates when he returned to the Philadelphia region for an alumni event last year.

"He was a big personality and he talked with everyone on alumni weekend," Marsh said. "He sat in the lobby of the hotel and everyone was his friend."

In his final season with the Flyers in 1970-71, Lacroix was teammates with many players – including Clarke, Bernie Parent, Gary Dornhoefer, Simon Nolet, Bob Kelly, Barry Ashbee, Rick MacLeish, Ed Van Impe, and Watson – who played key roles in their Stanley Cup championship in 1974.

Lacroix was traded to Chicago for defenseman Rick Foley in 1971.

Most Flyers fans weren't happy with the deal.

"We didn't have a lot of fans in those days, but Andre was very popular with them," Watson said. "He had time for everybody and always had a big smile on his face when he talked to people and that made people feel good about themselves."

Joe Kadlec, the Flyers' first public relations director in franchise history, agreed.

"He was our most popular player our first year," Kadlec said. "He took off right away. Just a likable guy with that great French accent. He was always in a good mood."

A Quebec native who also played with the Chicago Blackhawks and Hartford Whalers, Lacroix spent seven years in the World Hockey Association — he erupted for 50 goals and 124 points in his one season with the Philadelphia Blazers — and finished as the top scorer in WHA history with 798 points. He averaged 114 points per season in the WHA.

During his career with the Flyers, Lacroix sometimes centered Jean Guy Gendron and Simon Nolet on a line known as the "French Connection."

After his playing days, Lacroix was a popular radio broadcaster with the NHL's Hartford Whalers, giving candid opinions as a color commentator in the 1980s. He finished his playing career in 1979-80 with the Whalers, a team that included Gordie Howe, Mark Howe, Bobby Hull and Dave Keon. Don Blackburn, another Original Flyer, was the head coach.

In his combined NHL/WHA career, Lacroix finished with 330 goals and 666 points in 876 career games. As a Flyers rookie in 1967-68, he had a goal and three assists in his Spectrum debut.

Later that season, he scored one of the biggest goals of his career, a tally with 15 seconds left to tie a playoff game and help stave off elimination in St. Louis. Blackburn's goal won that Game 6 for Philly in the second overtime, 2-1, and Parent made 63 saves to even the series at 3-3. 

Lacroix, who was the youngest of 14 children, drew praise in the Flyers' 1970-71 media guide with this factoid: "Holds the distinction of beating out Bobby Orr for the MVP honors twice during his junior playing days."

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