| Round | Overall |
| 2 | 17 |
 |
 |
Left-hand shot. Hockey News Pre-Draft Ranking: 14
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1968-69 | Montreal | OHA | 54 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 18 |
| 1969-70 | Montreal | OHA | 54 | 42 | 42 | 84 | 73 |
| 1970-71 | Montreal | OHA | 61 | 59 | 68 | 127 | 71 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Played all three forward positions. ... Played for Shawinigan (QJHL) in 1967-68.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | August 16, 1971 |
| Debut: | October 8, 1971 (Vancouver vs. Toronto) |
| Final NHL game: | December 13, 1981 (Calgary at Vancouver) |
| Retired: | 1982 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Numbers worn: | 20 (Vancouver); 7, 11 (Atlanta/Calgary); 19 (Boston) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams:
Vancouver, Atlanta/Calgary, Boston
Years: 1971-1981. Playoffs: 1975-1981
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 11 years | 641 | 124 | 210 | 334 | 298 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 6 years | 16 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Pre-Draft Highlights
Had 29 goals and 29 assists in 44 games for Shawinigan (QJHL) as a
16-year-old in 1967-68. ... Won back-to-back Memorial Cup championships with
Montreal (OHA) in 1969 and 1970. ... Scored six goals and added 19 assists
in 12 Memorial Cup tournament games with Montreal in 1970. ... Served as
Montreal (OHA) alternate captain in 1970-71.
Career Highlights
Also played both wings during his pro career. ... Scored first NHL hat trick for Vancouver on March 17, 1973, vs. Pittsburgh. ... Led Vancouver with six game-winning goals in 1972-73. ... Won Vancouver Most Exciting Player Award as voted by fans in 1974-75. ... Played four games for 1975-76 Tulsa team that won CHL regular-season and playoff titles, but was not with team in playoffs. ... Won Vancouver Molson Cup as team's Three-Stars leader in home games for 1975-76. ... Won Vancouver Most Exciting Player Award, as voted by fans, in both 1975-76 and 1976-77. ... Tied for Atlanta lead with three game-tying goals in 1977-78. ... Scored goals in seven of first nine games for Atlanta to start 1978-79 season. ... Had 10-game point-scoring streak for Atlanta from Dec. 16, 1978, to Jan. 5, 1979. ... Had two assists in the first period of his first game with Boston on Oct. 23, 1979, at St. Louis. ... Tied NHL records (that still stand) for shorthanded goals in a playoff game and in one period of a playoff game with two in the third period of Game 3 of Boston's first-round playoff series at Minnesota on April 11, 1981. The goals came at 11:10 and 15:42 of the third, cutting Minnesota's lead from 5-1 to 5-3. Minnesota won the game to sweep the series.
Transaction History
July 15, 1977 -- Became an unrestricted free agent after Vancouver opted not to renew his contract afte the 1976-77 season due to a surplus of centers on the roster. September 14, 1977 -- Signed with Atlanta as an unrestricted free agent. Oct. 23, 1979 -- Traded by Atlanta to Boston in exchange for future considerations. Oct. 6, 1981 -- Bought out and released by Boston when he failed to make team out of training camp. Oct. 25, 1981 -- Signed with Calgary as an unrestricted free agent.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Robert
Patrick Lalonde
Nickname:
"Newsy"
Also Known as:
Robert Lalonde
Other Post-Draft Teams: Rochester (AHL); Tulsa (CHL); Oklahoma City (CHL);
Davos (Switzerland)
Coaching Career: Served Whitby
(OJHL) assistant coach during 2009-10 season.
Career Beyond Hockey: Moved to
Pickering, Ontario, after his retirement, and worked for several years
as a minor hockey coach.
Significant Injuries
Missed part of Vancouver's 1971 training camp with torn cartilage in knee, an injury suffered when he was checked by Ross Lonsberry during Sept. 19, 1971, preseason game vs. Los Angeles. ... Missed part of 1973-74 season with fractured ankle and torn tendon in ankle, suffered during Vancouver's Nov. 6, 1973, game vs. Buffalo. He did not return until Vancouver's Feb. 9, 1974, game vs. Detroit. ... Missed part of 1975-76 season with ankle injury.
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Quebec Nordiques in 1972 WHA Draft -- first-ever WHA Draft -- in February 1972. | Was easily the smallest player in the NHL throughout his entire 11 seasons in the league. | Was easily the smallest player in the NHL throughout his entire 11 seasons in the league. | Unprotected by Atlanta for 1979 expansion draft, but reclaimed later as fill-in for Rick Hodgson. |
| SNAPSHOT '71 | |
| Total Selected: | 117 |
| Forwards: | 63 |
| Defense: | 45 |
| Goaltenders: | 9 |
| Major Junior: | 84 |
| College Players: | 19 |
| Canadian: | 107 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 2 |
| American: | 8 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 50 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 5 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 10 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 5 |
| Olympians: | 4 |
| Picks Traded: | 18 |
| 1971 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | California |
| Chicago | Detroit | Los Angeles |
| Minnesota | Montreal | New York |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1971