Yvon Jules Labre (born November 29, 1949) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

player. Labre was born in Sudbury,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. He was originally drafted by the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

, for whom he played 37 games before being selected by the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

in the

1974 NHL Expansion Draft The 1974 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 12, 1974. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1974–75 season, the Kansas City Scouts and the Washington Capitals. Rules Draft results See also ...

. Labre scored the first-ever home goal for Washington, beating the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

Rogie Vachon Rogatien Rosaire "Rogie" Vachon (born September 8, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. Montre ...

. Although he was never one to put up big offensive numbers, Labre's value was noted in being a hard-nosed defensive defenceman on the ice and an active member of community programs and youth hockey programs off it. Such dedication to a team in a location not known for rich hockey history made him one of the Capitals' most popular players during his time there. Labre served as team captain from 1976 to 1978. He remained in the Capitals organization after his playing career ended. At various times since his retirement, he has served as an assistant coach, colour commentator, scout and the director of community relations for the Capitals. Labre's jersey number (#7) was retired by the Capitals on November 22, 1981.

Career statistics

External links

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Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labre, Yvon 1949 births Living people Amarillo Wranglers players Baltimore Clippers players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Franco-Ontarian people Hershey Bears players Ice hockey people from Ontario National Hockey League players with retired numbers Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks Pittsburgh Penguins players Sportspeople from Greater Sudbury Toronto Marlboros players Washington Capitals captains Washington Capitals coaches Washington Capitals players Canadian ice hockey coaches Washington Capitals announcers