Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Damphousse (born December 17, 1967 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a retired Canadian professional player in the NHL. He played centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, and San Jose Sharks. He was signed as an unrestricted free-agent by the Colorado Avalanche in 2004 during the off-season, but he never played with the team due to the lock-out that canceled the 2004–05 season.

Playing career
Vincent Damphousse was picked by the Toronto Maple Leafs 6th overall in the first round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. In 1991, playing as a Maple Leaf, he was named MVP of the NHL All Star Game, being one of only four players (at that time) to ever score 4 goals in a single All Star matchup. Vincent Damphousse played five seasons in Toronto before moving to the Edmonton Oilers. He found himself playing for his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens the next season, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 1993 before moving to the San Jose Sharks during the 1998–99 season. He also spent a brief stint in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga playing for the Ratingen Lions. His last team was technically the Colorado Avalanche, which he signed with on August 19, 2004, but he never took the ice for them; the 2004–05 NHL season was cancelled because of a lockout. Vincent was part of the NHLPA's executive committee, where he was the vice-president, along with other NHL players. He served under president Trevor Linden. Vincent Damphousse announced his retirement on September 7, 2005. Vincent missed only 19 games in his 12-year career. He currently lives in Montréal. Vincent is known for scoring many of his goals back handed. In addition, Damphousse was one of the first players to openly praise the hockey culture in San Jose.

Awards

 * Played in NHL All-Star Game - 1991, 1992, 2002.
 * NHL All-Star game MVP- 1991
 * QMJHL second All-Star team- 1985
 * Stanley Cup Champion - 1993

International play

 * 1996 - Played for Canada in the World Cup of Hockey.