| Round | Overall |
| 5 | 70 |
 |
 |
Left-hand catcher
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | ||
| 1967-68 | W. Island | Jr.B | -- | -- | -- | - | -- | ||
| 1968-69 | Verdun | QJHL | -- | -- | -- | - | -- | ||
| 1969-70 | Verdun | QMJHL | 45 | 16-25-1 | 4.95 | 1 | n/a |
Pre-Draft Notes
All-Star 1st team, shutouts leader. ... In 1970 Memorial Cup tourney with Quebec.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1970 |
| Debut: | March 16, 1971 (Chicago at Vancouver) |
| Final NHL game: | January 28, 1988 (Pittsburgh at New Jersey) |
| Retired: | 1988 |
| Stanley Cup: | 1991, 1992, 2009 |
| Numbers worn: | 30 (Chicago); 27 (California/Cleveland); 27 (Minnesota); 27 (Pittsburgh) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams:
Chicago, California/Cleveland, Minnesota,
Pittsburgh
Years: 1971-1988. Playoffs: 1980-1985
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 18 years | 788 | 270-351-131 | 3.64 | 20 | n/a |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | W-L | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 6 years | 45 | 21-19 | 3.48 | 2 | n/a |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Shut out Bruins at Boston Garden in his first start for California on Oct. 28, 1971. He made 34 saves for what was also his first career shutout. ... Tied NHL record (since broken) for assists by a goaltender in one game with two vs. N.Y. Rangers on Jan. 17, 1975. ... Set NHL single-season record (since broken) for assists by a goaltender with six for California in 1974-75. ... Was winning goaltender for Wales Conference in the 1980 NHL All-Star Game at Detroit. ... Set Minnesota/Dallas single-season record (since broken) with 27 wins in 1979-80. ... Set Minnesota/Dallas record (since broken) for longest playoff shutout streak with 91:12 run during 1980 playoffs, including a 3-0 shutout on April 16, 1980, at Montreal to open the first round. ... Played on Minnesota team that competed in Sweden's 1980 DN Cup tournament. ... Had four-game winning streak for Minnesota during 1981 playoffs. He began the streak by beating Boston in Game 1 of the opening round on April 8, 1981. He then won Game 3 of the Bruins series to close it out and opened the second round with victories over Buffalo in Games 1 and 2 before losing Game 3 in overtime. ... Played on Minnesota team that lost to N.Y. Islanders in 1981 Stanley Cup Finals. ... Went 3-2 in five starts, helping Canada win bronze medal at 1982 IIHF World Championship tournament in Finland.
International Tournaments
| 1982: | World Championships in Helsinki/Tampere, Finland (bronze medal) |
NHL Awards and Honors
| 1971-72: |
Sporting News West Division Rookie of the Year |
| 1972-73: | Goalie Games-Played Leader (59), Minutes Leader (3,473), Ties Leader (14) |
| 1979-80: | All-Star Game |
| 1981-82: | All-Star Game |
Team Awards and Honors
| (with California) | |
| 1972-73: | Most Valuable Player |
| (with Minnesota) | |
| 1978-79: | Bill Masterton Memorial Cup (MVP) |
| 1981-82: | Bill Masterton Memorial Cup (MVP) |
| 1981-82: | Class Guy Award, Playoffs Points Leader (6, tie), Playoffs Goals Leader (4) |
| 1982-83: | Philadelphia Sports Writers Good Guy Award, Points Leader (85), Assists Leader (62) |
| 1983-84: | Playoffs Points Leader (3), Playoffs Goals Leader (2, tie) |
Team Records
| Oakland/California/Cleveland Franchise Records | |
| Most seasons played: | 7 (shares record) |
| Most career games played: | 355 |
| Most career minutes: | 20,666 |
| Most career wins: | 93 |
| Most career shutouts: | 11 |
| Most career wins: | 304 |
| Most shutouts in one season: |
4 in 1971-72 (shares record) |
| Most consecutive shutouts |
2 in 1971-72 (1/28/70 vs, Toronto) (1/30/70 at Vancouver) |
| Most assists by a
goaltender, in one season: | 6 in 1974-75 |
| Most points by
a goaltender in one season: | 6 in 1974-75 |
| Most assists by a
goaltender in one game: |
2 (1/17/75 vs. NYR) |
Milestones
| 500th Game: | March
18, 1981 (Minnesota vs. Edmonton) |
| 600th Game: | April
2, 1983 (Minnesota at Los Angeles) |
| 700th Game: |
January 11, 1986 (Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo) |
Transaction History
Oct. 18, 1971 -- Traded
by Chicago with Paul Shmyr to California in exchange for Gerry
Desjardins. The trade followed a Sept. 9, 1971, trade in which Chicago
had sent Desjardins, Kerry Bond and Gerry Pinder to California in
exchange for Gary Smith. Desjardins reported to California with an
injured left arm, which he had broken while playing in Chicago. Because
of the previously undisclosed problems in recovering from the arm
injury, California appealed the trade, asking NHL President Clarence
Campbell to nullify it. Campbell said the case would go to an
arbitrator, but Chicago and California settled in advance of arbitration
when Chicago agreed to take back Desjardins, who needed major surgery, in exchange for compensation
of Meloche,
their top goaltending prospect, and Shmyr. June 15, 1978 --
Protected by Minnesota prior to Cleveland-Minnesota Dispersal Draft,
ensuring he would remain part of Minnesota organization.
May 31, 1985 -- Traded
by Minnesota to Edmonton in exchange for Paul Houck.
Sept. 11, 1985 -- Traded by Edmonton
to Pittsburgh in exchange for Marty McSorley, Tim Hrynewich, and future
considerations (Mike Moller to Edmonton on Oct. 6, 1985).
Life Outside the NHL
Other Post-Draft Teams: Flint (IHL)
Family: Father of former NHL player
Eric Meloche. ... Older brother of former WHA player Denis Meloche.
Significant Injuries
Missed part of 1973-74 season with cut and torn tendons in hand, suffered when a teammate skated over his hand in California's Nov. 28, 1973, morning skate before game vs. Minnesota.The injury required surgery, and he did not return until California's Jan. 16, 1974, game vs. Toronto. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with broken bone in hand, suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov. 2, 1985, game at Montreal. He did not return until Pittsburgh's Dec. 6, 1985, game vs. Buffalo. ... Missed start of 1987-88 season recovering from Sept. 17, 1987, arthroscopic surgery on right knee. He did not make his 1987-88 regular-season debut until Pittsburgh's Oct. 23, 1987, game at Detroit.
Non-Playing Career
|
COACHING CAREER Named Pittsburgh goaltending coach in December 1989, and remained in that position until September 2005. ... Named Pittsburgh goaltending coach on July 27, 2006, season and remained in that position until June 12, 2013. |
SCOUTING CAREER Named Pittsburgh amateur scout for Quebec region in December 1989 and remained in that position until July 27, 2006. ... Named Pittsburgh special assignment scout on June 12, 2013, and currently holds this position with planned retirement in 2015. |
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Quebec Nordiques in 1972 WHA Draft -- the first-ever WHA Draft, February 1972. | Led all NHL goaltenders with 33 losses for California in 1973-74 season. | Was member of California team that relocated to Cleveland on Aug. 26, 1976. | Was longest-serving active member of California-Cleveland franchise when team folded. |
| Was starting goaltender for each of Minnesota's first 17 games of the 1981-82 season. | Was last player from the 1978 merger with Cleveland still with Minnesota by 1984-85. | Owned/managed a hamburger restaurant in Montreal during his playing days. | Played for Pittsburgh Alumni in 2011 Winter Classic Alumni Game outdoors at Heinz Field. |
| SNAPSHOT '70 | |
| Total Selected: | 115 |
| Forwards: | 67 |
| Defense: | 36 |
| Goaltenders: | 12 |
| Major Junior: | 87 |
| College Players: | 18 |
| Canadian: | 109 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 0 |
| American: | 6 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 62 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 12 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 11 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 4 |
| Olympians: | 2 |
| Picks Traded: | 13 |
| 1970 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | Chicago |
| Detroit | Los Angeles | Minnesota |
| Montreal | New York | Oakland |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1970