Position Right Wing Name Wilf Paiement Career start 1974 Shot Right Role Ice hockey player Career end 1988 | Height 1.85 m Siblings Rosaire Paiement Playing career Weight 95 kg | |
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Born October 16, 1955 (age 68) Earlton, ON, CAN ( 1955-10-16 ) NHL Draft 2nd overall, 1974Kansas City Scouts Played for | ||
Clark gillies drops wilf paiement 02 15 83
Wilfrid Paiement, Jr. (; born October 16, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing in the National Hockey League from 1974 through 1988, for seven different NHL teams. He is the younger brother of former NHL hockey player Rosaire Paiement.
Contents
- Clark gillies drops wilf paiement 02 15 83
- Wilf paiement vs barry legge dec 19 1981
- Playing career
- Achievements
- Awards
- Transactions
- References
Wilf paiement vs barry legge dec 19 1981
Playing career
Wilf Paiement was selected in the first round (2nd overall) of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft by the Kansas City Scouts. He played two seasons in Kansas City before the team moved to Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies.
Paiement was a member of the Canadian team that returned to the World Championship in Austria in 1977 after seven years of absence. During the tournament, frustrated by the lack of success, many members of Team Canada, including Paiement, resorted to violence. Paiement attacked Swedish player Lars-Erik Ericsson (who received a stick in the eye), as well as Russian players Shadrin, Yakushev and Babinov (who were all knocked unconscious).
On October 25, 1978, Paiement attacked Detroit Red Wings centre Dennis Polonich with his stick. The diminutive five-foot-six-inch Polonich was trash-talking with Paiement, when Paiement struck Polonich's across the face with a two-handed slash, which resulted in severe facial lacerations, a smashed nose that required extensive reconstructive surgery, and a severe concussion. Along with a match penalty, Paiement was given the second longest (at the time) suspension in NHL history - 15 games. Polonich sued, and was rewarded with a settlement of $850,000 in 1982; he has suffered with breathing problems from then on.
Paiement was traded from the Rockies to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Pat Hickey for Lanny McDonald and Joel Quenneville on December 29, 1979.
Paiement played in Toronto for the next three seasons before again being traded to the Quebec Nordiques for Miroslav Frycer and a 7th round pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft (Jeff Triano). After five seasons in Quebec, he was traded to the New York Rangers for Steve Patrick where he only played eight games.
The Buffalo Sabres claimed Paiement off waivers on October 6, 1986. He only played one season in Buffalo before rounding out his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins and finally, the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the IHL in 1987–88.
Achievements
Wilf Paiement was the first player ever drafted by the Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils organizations. He played in the very first games for the Kansas City Scouts and the Colorado Rockies. Upon his retirement from the NHL, Paiement was the last active player that had ever played for the Kansas City Scouts.
While Paiement was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs he wore the number 99 for the 187 games he spent in Toronto, and was the last player other than Wayne Gretzky to wear that number. He last wore #99 on March 6, 1982 against the Montreal Canadiens. Referencing his time using the number 99, Paiement appeared in a commercial for the Canadian furniture store Leon's in 2008, in honour of their 99th anniversary. The commercial teased that he was Wayne Gretzky before being revealed on camera, to which he said "What, you're expecting someone else?"