Lapointe, Former Nordique Coach, Canuck Scout, Dies of Cancer at 42

Ron Lapointe, 42, a former Quebec Nordique coach, on Monday lost his battle with the cancer that twice forced him to leave coaching jobs.

He coached the Nordiques from December of 1987 to December of 1988, when it was determined he would need surgery.

Lapointe’s last game for them was an emotional victory over the Montreal Canadiens. He hadn’t told his players of his illness before the game, but team doctor Pierre Beauchemin had. A tumor had been discovered in one of Lapointe’s kidneys.

At the end of the game, Lapointe struggled to hold back tears as goaltender Mario Gosselin handed him the puck.

“It was a day I’ll never forget,” Lapointe said. “I get a slap in the face in the morning and a win at night.”

Lapointe coached the Vancouver Canucks’ minor league team in Milwaukee two seasons ago, but he was forced to step down when he had a recurrence of cancer.

He had been a scout for the Canucks for the past year. Lapointe could assess players well and was not afraid of expressing an opinion, said Gilles Corteau, president of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, in which Lapointe coached for six seasons.