A native of Brockville, Ontario, Ladouceur began his playing career in the OHA in 1977-78 suiting up with the Hamilton Fincups before moving to the Brantford Alexanders where he played two full seasons. After signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings, he spent a year each in the AHL (Adirondack Red Wings) and IHL (Kalamazoo Wings). Ladouceur graduated to the NHL in 1982-83, playing 27 games as a rookie before taking a regular turn on the blue line the following season. His solid play helped the club improve by 12 points and qualify for the post-season for the first time since 1978. Ladouceur played two and a half more years in Motown before he was traded to the Hartford Whalers in return for Dave Barr in 1986. He played six and a half years with the Whalers and helped the team finish first in the Adams Division in 1986-87. Over the next five seasons, he was a reliable performer with the Whalers whom he captained in 1991-1992.
He played the last four seasons of his career out west, with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim who had claimed him in the 1993 Expansion Draft. His NHL career spanned over 14 seasons, from 1982 to 1996 and, by the time he hung up his skates, he had a career record of 931 career NHL games, registering 156 points (30 goals, 126 assists) and a total of 1,322 penalty minutes. |
