Gaétan Duchesne

Who was Gaétan Duchesne?

Gaétan Duchesne was a professional Canadian ice hockey player. Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Duchesne was drafted in 1981 by the Washington Capitals. He played six seasons with the Capitals before being dealt to the Quebec Nordiques in the trade that sent Dale Hunter to the Capitals. He also played for the Minnesota North Stars, helping to guide them to their improbable appearance in the 1991 finals.

He later play for the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers. In 1,028 NHL games, he scored 179 goals and 254 assists.

He died of a heart attack at only 44 in his native Quebec City.

His son, Jeremy Duchesne, is/was a goaltending prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers. During the 2007/08 season, he played in the ECHL for the Dayton Bombers.

Starting in 2008, the Capitals have awarded the Gaetan Duchesne Trophy to the best intra-squad team in training camp scrimmages.