MC Networking Breakfast

 

This month's speaker will be Andre Lacroix, Sr., a hockey legend and proud member of the Gilmour Academy community. He is the grandfather of Andre ’23, Anthony ’25 and Alex ’29; father-in-law of Erika DiCello Lacroix ’90; and was the first head coach of Gilmour’s U16 AAA team.

 

Andre is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he remains the all-time leading scorer. He is also one of only four players in professional hockey history to record more than 100 assists in a single season, alongside legends such as Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky. Andre played professional hockey for 14 years and served as a TV color analyst for the NHL for five years. Before turning professional, Andre dominated the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), averaging an extraordinary 2.64 points per game.

 

Known for his sharp business sense, he negotiated every one of his professional contracts himself — without an agent — earning a reputation as a savvy and independent player who “never made a bad deal.”

 

Andre’s story extends far beyond the ice. In his memoir, After the Second Snowfall, he shares an inside look at the realities of professional hockey in the 1970s, including the travel, trades, and business side of the game, as well as his personal journey from being the youngest of 14 siblings to becoming a professional athlete. He has used his platform to serve others, including founding a charity that supports individuals with special needs.