Maxim Lapierre

Maxim Lapierre (born March 29, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward.

During the 2001–02 season, Lapierre made his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) debut with the Montreal Rocket, appearing in nine games, during which time he scored two goals.

Playing in his first full QMJHL season in 2002–03, Lapierre scored 22 goals and 43 points over 72 games.

He added four points in seven playoff games.

Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), he was selected 61st overall in 2003 by the Montreal Canadiens.

Following his rookie year in the juniors, Lapierre was selected in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.

Following his draft, Lapierre was returned to junior hockey early in the Canadiens' 2003 training camp.

Upon returning, his QMJHL club had relocated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to become the P.E.I. Rocket in 2003–04.

Lapierre recorded a junior career-high 61 points over 67 games in his third season with the Rocket.

Remaining in junior ranks for a fourth season in 2004–05, he recorded 52 points over 69 games.

In the off-season, he was signed by the Canadiens to a three-year, entry-level contract on July 28, 2005.

Lapierre played his first professional season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Canadiens' minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

He was called up to the NHL in November 2005 for a five-day stint, playing his first NHL game on November 15 against the Florida Panthers.

He registered three minutes of ice time in 4–3 Canadiens win, his lone NHL game during the 2005–06 season.

In the AHL, Lapierre recorded 13 goals and 36 points over 73 games with the Bulldogs.

During the 2006–07 season, Lapierre received four separate call-ups from Hamilton.

Playing in the first game of a call-up in December, he registered his first career NHL point in a 4–3 win against the Boston Bruins, earning the first assist on the game-winning goal by Guillaume Latendresse on December 12, 2006.

The following game, he scored his first NHL goal in a 4–2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, tipping a Mike Komisarek shot past goaltender Marc Denis.

In late-January 2007, he received his last call-up of the campaign, remaining with the club until the end of the NHL regular season.

Over 46 NHL games, he recorded six goals and six assists, while also tallying 24 points over 37 games in the AHL.

With Montreal not qualifying for the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, Lapierre was sent back to the Bulldogs for their 2007 playoff season.

Hamilton advanced to the Calder Cup Finals, where they defeated the Hershey Bears in five games.

Lapierre scored a goal and an assist in Hamilton's 2–1 win in the championship-deciding game.

He totaled 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 22 playoff games.

After competing for a Canadiens roster spot in the 2007 NHL pre-season, Lapierre was returned to the Bulldogs to start the 2007–08 season.

On December 5, 2007, he was recalled to the Canadiens, earning a role as the club's third or fourth line centre.

His time with the Canadiens increased as he spent 53 games in the NHL with seven goals and 18 points, while registering 14 points over 19 games in the AHL.

He spent parts of his first three professional seasons with the Canadiens' minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), before playing his first full NHL season in 2008–09.

By the 2008–09 campaign, Lapierre had established himself as a full-time NHLer and earned a roster spot with the Canadiens out of training camp for the first time in his career.

Just over a month into the season, he was elbowed in the head by opposing forward Jarkko Ruutu during a game against the Ottawa Senators on November 11, 2008.

Lapierre was not injured on the play, while Ruutu received a two-game suspension for the infraction.

The following month, Lapierre recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight) in a 6–2 win against the New York Rangers on December 4, 2008.

Later that month, on December 29, 2008, Lapierre recorded his first career NHL hat-trick during a 5–2 win against the Florida Panthers.

Lapierre spent five-and-a-half seasons in the Canadiens organization before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks in December 2010.

Two months later, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks and helped the team to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Boston Bruins.

On July 5, 2013, Lapierre signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent.

On January 27, 2015, Lapierre was traded from St. Louis to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Marcel Goc.

Lapierre was born in Saint-Leonard, Quebec and grew up in Repentigny, Quebec.

Beginning to play hockey at age nine, Lapierre's midget team was based out of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec.

One of his teammates, Jean-François Jacques, went on to play with him on the Hamilton Bulldogs, as well.