Pat Lafontaine is one of only 5 players to have scored over 1,000 points and played in fewer than 1,000 games. With 1,013 points (468 goals, 545 assists) in 865 games, Lafontaine was a rare elite scorer. He would have ascended higher on the leaderboard but was forced to retire early due to concussions. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003, he is most remembered for his 1987 playoff goal in the 4th overtime period of the 7th and decisive game between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, known as the "Easter Epic".
Although I've been lucky enough to pull some beautiful patches and great cards from In The Game (ITG Superlative I Gold Patch #/10, ITG Enshrined Complete Jersey #/9), I never was able to pull an autograph of the great Lafontaine from a pack.
Luckily, this project has allowed me to fill that hole in my collection.
From 2011-12 Panini comes this great Private Signings hard-signed autograph of Pat Lafontaine. The Private Signings cards are a great addition to the Panini line-up. Not necessarily linked to any one particular product, the Private Signings autographs are inserted into all brands and are technically included as bonus cards. Lafontaine's signature looks great on the simple yet effective design.
Patty Lafontaine, #75 on the list of the top 1,000 point scorers in the NHL!