LaFontaine represented the U.S. at the 1996 World Cup, as well as the 1984 and 1998 Winter Olympics.

Helping is natural to LaFontaine
By John McGourty | NHL.com
March 4, 2005

Life's tough, right? You've got bills to pay, a boss to please, technology to learn, kids to raise and a spouse that needs attention. Who doesn't? Life's tough.

It's even tougher if you succumb to envy over the lives of the rich and famous. Aspen in winter, Saratoga in summer, South Beach, the Hamptons, Majorca, Minorca, Cabo San Lucas... Hey, what're Paris, Madonna and Britney doing tonight?

As they say, the rich are just like you and me, only different. When was the last time you pitched a fit that you couldn't get goat's milk yogurt at the local supermarket or you weren't on the "A" list at Tavern on the Green? That you danced on a tabletop because Tara Reid was dancing with your arranged date of a week ago?

Frankly, my sommelier was outraged at the recent boycott of French wines. You know the feeling! And, how hard it is to find good help these days!

That's what makes Pat LaFontaine so unique. We don't count other people's money but LaFontaine's skills earned him a good buck over his 15 NHL seasons. He could have faded into obscurity, bought himself a Bentley and a Cigarette racing boat, a mansion in Manhasset, another in Jackson Hole, and a sommelier for each, but no, this guy is driven to help those in need. He lives a constant life of assistance to others. It's really quite remarkable.

LaFontaine put NHL.com on his mailing list a few months ago. Since then, there has been a continuous stream of information about fundraising efforts that have led to the recent creation of two important additions to hospital facilities and a wealth of good feeling in several communities.

LaFontaine played for three NHL teams, the New York Islanders, the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers. Thus, this son of St. Louis, Mo., and Waterford, Mich., played his entire professional career in New York State. He will always be one of the greatest American-born hockey players, a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, and with 468 goals and 565 assists for 1,013 points in 865 NHL games, one of the greatest NHL players of all time.

He was the great hope of Islanders' fans in the years just after their four-year run of Stanley Cup championships; the catalyst for the revival of the Sabres' franchise in the early 1990s and the second-leading scorer behind Wayne Gretzky in his one season with the Rangers, his last in the NHL. Concussions drove him out of the game, but he left in time, with all his wits about him.

LaFontaine is best remembered for the "Easter Epic," when he scored the winning goal for the Islanders in the fourth overtime of Game 7 of the Patrick Division semifinals against the Washington Capitals on April 18, 1987.

In Buffalo, he's also remembered for being part of the phenomenal combination with Alexander Mogilny in 1992-93. LaFontaine had 53 goals and 95 assists that season for 148 points, while Mogilny had 76 goals and 51 assists for 127 points.

Character development begins at home and LaFontaine was imbued with a sense of responsibility by his mom, Jay, who passed away last year. His charitable efforts began a long time before her passing and will continue to be a legacy to her memory. Consider what he, and his Companions in Courage Foundation, have done in recent months.

LaFontaine was part of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2003.

LaFontaine and the Buffalo Sabres, led by managing partner Larry Quinn and Sabres' alumni Danny Gare and Larry Playfair, hosted a fundraising weekend, Dec. 3 and 4, that netted $200,000 for the foundation, enough to build a private room, "the Lion's Den", at Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo. Sixteen teams comprised of local business people competed over the weekend, each team enhanced by a former Sabres player. The weekend featured a dinner with a fundraising auction of rare Sabres' memorabilia and a Sunday game that drew 12,000 fans to HSBC Arena for a contest featuring Gilbert Perreault, Richard Martin and Rene Robert, the "French Connection" line that took the Sabres to the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals, Craig Ramsey, LaFontaine and Dale Hawerchuk. On Saturday, LaFontaine was joined by Jim Craig, the goalie of the gold-medal 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, and many other players on a visit to Women and Children's Hospital.

The highlight of the weekend came when Sabres' owner Tom Golisano announced that he would match LaFontaine's fundraising effort.

"We can now build the room," an emotional LaFontaine announced.

A month before that, LaFontaine raised $42,000 for the Foundation by competing in a triathlon event in Panama City, Florida. In becoming the first former NHL player to compete in a major triathalon event and earn the designation "Ironman", LaFontaine dedicated the race to his mother.

"Every time I thought that I might be getting a little worn out, I thought of the kids who are in hospital rooms, sometimes for weeks at a time and I realized that I was really having a pretty good day," LaFontaine said, acknowledging his mother's influence. "She was my inspiration for so much in this life. I know she would have been proud of me today."

LaFontaine watched an Ironman competition on television six years earlier and vowed he'd compete in one before he was 40.

"If you can't keep a promise to yourself, who can you keep one to?" LaFontaine asked himself.

You know that gentleman that sits by Donald Trump on "The Apprentice" television show? His name is George Ross. He's a New York City real-estate lawyer and an advisor to Trump for 25 years. Ross and his wife, Billie, sought a philanthropic endeavor, one in which their grandchildren could learn a bit about civic responsibility. Following a long search, the Rosses helped endow the Lion's Den Room at the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, N.Y. LaFontaine also drew the assistance of Microsoft, Full Armor and Merrill Lynch.

"This incredible facility is the result of the hard work of some very generous individuals," said hospital CEO Dr. Michael Gewitz. "Pat's vision, Mr. and Mrs. Ross's donation, Edwin Schlossberg's design and Microsoft's generosity have all made today possible."

Schlossberg is the husband of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late United States president. Like LaFontaine, Schlossberg eschews celebrity status, preferring service to others.

"I established Companions in Courage as a way to help children feel more comfortable during a very difficult time of their lives," LaFontaine said. "To see these kids -- who carry a very heavy load sometimes -- forget for a moment about their illness, is true magic."

What's left to say. It takes your breath away. Our thanks to Pat LaFontaine for reminding us about how good we can be, if only we try.