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. Laus was the last original member of the Panthers.
Career Born in Beamsville, Ontario, Laus was a Junior B standout with the St. Catharines Falcons before joining the Ontario Hockey League. 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 International Hockey League and ECHL, including a stint with the short-lived Albany Choppers.
The blueliner was claimed by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. His defensive work 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.
In the 1996–97 NHL season Laus set an 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 played another professional game. Eventually, Laus officially retired and moved back to Ontario.
Records Holds the NHL record for most fighting majors in a season with 39, set during the 1996–97 season. Florida Panthers team record: Most career penalty minutes (1,702)
Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1986–87 St. Catharines Falcons GHL4018956 — — — — —1987–88Hamilton SteelhawksOHL56191017114000281988–89Niagara Falls ThunderOHL491101122515055561989–90Niagara Falls ThunderOHL601335482311661622711990–91Albany ChoppersIHL70007 — — — — —1990–91Knoxville CherokeesECHL206121883 — — — — —1990–91Muskegon LumberjacksIHL353471034000131991–92Muskegon LumberjacksIHL750212124814257701992–93Cleveland LumberjacksIHL76818264274101271993–94Florida PanthersNHL39202109 — — — — —1994–95Florida PanthersNHL37077138 — — — — —1995–96Florida PanthersNHL7836923621268621996–97Florida PanthersNHL7701212313501141997–98Florida PanthersNHL7701111293 — — — — —1998–99Florida PanthersNHL751910218 — — — — —1999–2000Florida PanthersNHL773811172400082000–01Florida PanthersNHL2512366 — — — — —2001–02Florida PanthersNHL45437157 — — — — — NHL totals53014587217023027974
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