Jean Ratelle

Jean Ratelle (born October 3, 1940) is a former Canadian ice hockey player and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Born Joseph Gilbert Yvon Ratelle in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, it has often been said of Jean Ratelle that he was so consistently effective at a high level of play day in and day out that he has been overlooked by some as one of the greatest to have played the game.

Drafted by the New York Rangers, his hockey career almost ended when he suffered a serious back injury at age 23 and had to undergo major spinal cord surgery. He recovered to become a regular with the Rangers from 1963 until 1976 when he was traded to the Boston Bruins where his career blossomed even further.

Remembered as a gentlemen, Ratelle played center ice in the National Hockey League (NHL) for twenty-one seasons, accumulating 1267 points on 491 goals and 776 assists. At the date of his retirement after the 1981 season, he was the league's 6th all-time leading scorer. Unfortunately he never played on a team that won the Stanley Cup but was a member of the 1972 Team Canada squad that defeated the Soviet Union in the first-ever Summit Series.

In 1985, Jean Ratelle was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Awards:

• Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (1971)
• Lester B. Pearson Award (1972)
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1972, 1976)