It wasn’t just an ice rink on every corner and growing up in Montreal that put Eric Lacroix on the ice at age 5. His affection for a stick and puck was also influenced by some guys who hung around his house like Patrick Roy, Michel Goulet, Pierre and Sylvain Turgeon. There were about 2 dozen of them, stars or up and comers, who were represented by Eric’s sports agent father, Pierre.
So hockey was everywhere and Eric was good at it. He was drafted by the Maple Leafs in 1990 and made his professional debut in 1993. Soon after that, he was traded to the LA Kings where he roomed with Rob Blake, played with Wayne Gretzky and his coach was Barry Melrose. Life was amazing in LA. Until he was abruptly traded to the Colorado Avalanche, where his dad was now the General Manager. Once the shock wore off, Eric embraced his new teammates who had just won the Stanley Cup. He had success on the ice and all was good… until it wasn’t and he asked Pierre to send him back to LA. A quick decision Eric regrets making because Los Angeles wasn’t the same and neither was the rest of his NHL career.
After hockey, Eric spent time on coaching and front office staffs with a few teams including the Avalanche. These days, he runs a hockey camp, a foundation and does TV work for Altitude. He is also husband to Jill and dad to three active kids, including two hockey players.