Paul Laus

Paul Laus
Born (1970-09-26) September 26, 1970
Beamsville, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Florida Panthers
NHL Draft 37th overall, 1989
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 19902002

Paul Laus (born September 26, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the Florida Panthers.

Career

Born in Beamsville, Ontario, Laus was a Junior B standout with the St. Catharines Falcons before joining the OHL. He spent three years with the Hamilton Steelhawks/Niagara Falls Thunder franchise and was selected 37th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He spent his first three years as a pro in the IHL and ECHL, including a stint with the short-lived Albany Choppers.

The rugged blueliner was claimed by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. His solid defensive work and willingness to take on the toughest players in the league made him a valuable player on the club as it set an NHL record for expansion teams with 83 points. Two years later, he scored two goals and was a workhorse in 21 games as the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup finals. Laus continued to be an enforcer and team leader through the end of the 2000–01 season and was the only person to play in all of the club's first eight seasons. His grit and determination made him a fan favorite and he is still one of the most beloved all-time Panthers along with Scott Mellanby.

In the 1996-97 NHL season Laus set a NHL record with 39 fighting majors in 77 games while also setting career highs in assists, points, plus/minus, and penalty minutes.

However, injuries limited Laus to only 70 games over his last two seasons. After his latest wrist injury in 2002, he never would play another professional game. Eventually, Laus officially retired and moved back to Ontario.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1986–87 St. Catharines Falcons OHA-B 40 1 8 9 56
1987–88 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 56 1 9 10 171 14 0 0 0 28
1988–89 Niagara Falls Thunder OHL 49 1 10 11 225 15 0 5 5 56
1989–90 Niagara Falls Thunder OHL 60 13 35 48 231 16 6 16 22 71
1990–91 Albany Choppers IHL 7 0 0 0 7
1990–91 Knoxville Cherokees ECHL 20 6 12 18 83
1990–91 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 35 3 4 7 103 4 0 0 0 13
1991–92 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 75 0 21 21 248 14 2 5 7 70
1992–93 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 76 8 18 26 427 4 1 0 1 27
1993–94 Florida Panthers NHL 39 2 0 2 109
1994–95 Florida Panthers NHL 37 0 7 7 138
1995–96 Florida Panthers NHL 78 3 6 9 236 21 2 6 8 62
1996–97 Florida Panthers NHL 77 0 12 12 313 5 0 1 1 4
1997–98 Florida Panthers NHL 77 0 11 11 293
1998–99 Florida Panthers NHL 75 1 9 10 218
1999–00 Florida Panthers NHL 77 3 8 11 172 4 0 0 0 8
2000–01 Florida Panthers NHL 25 1 2 3 66
2001–02 Florida Panthers NHL 45 4 3 7 157
9 years Totals NHL 530 14 58 72 1702 30 2 7 9 74
Preceded by
Scott Mellanby
Florida Panthers captain
2001–02
with Pavel Bure
Succeeded by
Olli Jokinen
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