Rene Leclerc • Renald Leclerc "The Count"

Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Shoot: R
Born: 12 Nov 1947, Ville de Vanier PQ

Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)

year	team	gp	g	a	pts	pim		gp	g	a	pts	pim
1972-73	Quebec	60	24	28	52	111
1973-74	Quebec	58	17	27	44	84
1974-75	Quebec	72	18	32	50	85		14	7	7	14	41
1975-76	Quebec	42	15	17	32	35
	Indianapolis	40	18	21	39	52		7	2	5	7	7
	Totals (2 teams)	82	33	38	71	87
1976-77	Indianapolis	68	25	30	55	43		9	1	1	2	4
1977-78	Indianapolis	60	12	15	27	31
1978-79	Indianapolis	22	5	7	12	12
	Quebec	23	0	0	0	8		4	0	0	0	0
	Totals (2 teams)	45	5	7	12	20
	Totals:	445	134	177	311	461		34	10	13	23	52

Leclerc Found the Back of the Net • by Real Labbe • The Hockey Spectator • February 16, 1973 Renald Leclerc was one of the happiest players to sign a contract with the Quebec Nordiques. It allowed him to return to play in his hometown after an absence of several years. His career has not always been easy because he had to leave his father's home at the age of 16 to pursue his career in professional hockey. He enjoyed his years of junior hockey with the Hamilton Red Wings and played for five seasons. Today he does not regret this decision, however, because he was able to learn English. Then he signed with Fort Worth, still in the Red Wing organization. In 1968-69, he was recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, for whom he played 43 games. The following season he shuttled between Fort Worth and Cleveland. Last year he played for three clubs before being chosen by the Nordiques during the the World Hockey Association's General Player Draft in February. It was in July that he signed a contract with Quebec. As a professional, it was only on October 1 that he was able to practice regularly with his teammates and it did not take long to prove himself to be one of the leaders on the club. With the start of the regular season, he quickly showed himself to be a prolific scorer, scoring 10 goals in the first 12 games, which was the best performance in the league at that time, better than Danny Lawson, Ron Ward and Andre Lacroix. Unfortunately an ankle injury interrupted his season that had started so well. He was out for almost five weeks and then it took him a little time to regain his precision around the nets. After the All-Star game, the right winger native of Ville-Vanier found the back of the net and his production was approaching that of the beginning of the year. One of his happiest moments was when he managed a penalty shot goal at the expense of goalkeeper Gilles Gratton of the Ottawa Nationals. It happened at the Coliseum and this goal was to prove decisive. It allowed the Nordiques to level the score and the Quebecers won in the additional period. "I had set myself a target of 30 goals before the start of the season," said Renald, "but with the injury I think I will go for 25 goals." His experience in the National Hockey League is limited to about four full seasons in which he played exactly 87 games. However he played with a master because Gordie Howe was still active when Renald wore the colors of the Red Wings. "It's quite an experience to play alongside a guy like him," he says. "...for my part he provided a lot of valuable advice." But life with the Red Wings was not always easy for Renaid Leclerc, who was very happy to tear himself away from Detroit by signing with the Nordiques.

Excerpts from Zander Hollander Complete Hockey Handbook, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis) Skates like the wind that swirls around the fairyland capital with its centuries old buildings ... Usually assigned the checking jobs ... Bobby Hull, for one, knows his speed and stamina ... shooting is suspect, but was sharp enough to account for 18 goals including six game-winners in 1974-75 ... Owns a clothing store, which he tends to personally in the offseason ... His wife is a real estate broker who, according to Leclerc, makes as much money as he does — bonuses and splits included ... Has been described as a young Eddie Shack ... fans love his zest.

Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1976-77 (by Dan Proudfoot) Indianapolis fans sometimes get the feeling that Quebec City must be a friendly place, full of generous, good-hearted people. And they're right, of course, because every deal the Racers make with the Quebec Nordiques turns out well for Indianapolis. Quebec manager Maurice Filion, a generous, good-hearted person if there ever was one, sent Renald Leclerc to Indianapolis for defenseman Michel Dubois. Leclerc was an immediate hit with the Racers and he improved when an old friend, Michel Parizeau, came along a few weeks later to feed him passes. Leclerc became a favorite with Indy fans because of his speed and scoring — 39 points in 40 games as a Racer.

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