A forward who became a defenseman for the final two seasons of his NHL career, Didier Pitre earned the name "Cannonball" for having one of the hardest shots in the game. He played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey Association (1910-13 and 1914-17), Vancouver of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1913-14 and the Canadiens in the NHL (1917-23). He had 99 points (64 goals, 35 assists) in 127 NHL games.
Pitre was also known for his great skating, and allegedly could skate as fast backward as he could forward. Pitre, Jack Laviolette and Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde became known as "The Flying Frenchmen" for the Canadiens in the 1910s. There are three plaques in Ontario commemorating them: Belleville (Laviolette's birthplace), Cornwall (Lalonde's birthplace) and Renfrew (Pitre played for Renfrew of the NHA in 1909).
A forward who became a defenseman for the final two seasons of his NHL career, Didier Pitre earned the name "Cannonball" for having one of the hardest shots in the game. He played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey Association (1910-13 and 1914-17), Vancouver of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1913-14 and the Canadiens in the NHL (1917-23). He had 99 points (64 goals, 35 assists) in 127 NHL games.
Pitre was also known for his great skating, and allegedly could skate as fast backward as he could forward. Pitre, Jack Laviolette and Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde became known as "The Flying Frenchmen" for the Canadiens in the 1910s. There are three plaques in Ontario commemorating them: Belleville (Laviolette's birthplace), Cornwall (Lalonde's birthplace) and Renfrew (Pitre played for Renfrew of the NHA in 1909).
He began his professional hockey career with Michigan of the International Professional Hockey League and had 88 points (77 goals, 11 assists) in 58 games from 1904-07. In Pitre's second season with Michigan, he scored 41 goals in 22 games.
Pitre was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962. His nephew, Vic Desjardins, played 87 NHL games with the Chicago Black Hawks (1930-31) and New York Rangers (1931-32) and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.
Pitre died July 29, 1934 at age 50.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- IHL First All-Star Team (1906, 1907)
- Signed as a free agent by American Soo (IHL), January 5, 1905.
- Signed as a free agent by Mtl. Shamrocks (ECAHA), December 15, 1907.
- Signed as a free agent by Edmonton (ESrHL), December 3, 1908.
- Signed as a free agent by Renfrew (FAHL) after jumping contract with Edmonton (ESrHL), January 3, 1909.
- Signed as a free agent by Mtl. Nationals (CHA), December 12, 1909.
- Signed as a free agent by Montreal (NHA) after jumping contract with Mtl. Nationals (CHA), December 19, 1909.
- Signed as a free agent by New Westminster (PCHA), November 22, 1912.
- Signed as a free agent by Quebec (NHA) after jumping contract with New Westminster (PCHA), November 25, 1912.
- Traded to Montreal (NHA) by Quebec (NHA) for cash, December, 1912.
- Rights retained by Montreal after NHA folded, November 26, 1917.
