Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter CXXX: 17. Guy Chouinard

17. Guy Chouinard

Chouinard, a native of Quebec City, Quebec, was a 5’11″, 175 lb. forward. Born on October 20th, 1956, he played three seasons at the junior level in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, totaling 147 markers with 212 assists in 179 games. Following the 1973-74 campaign, the Atlanta Flames chose him in the second round of the NHL Amateur Draft with the 28th pick overall.

In 1974-75, Chouinard joined the CHL’s Omaha Knights for 70 games, scoring 28 goals with 40 helpers. He made his major league debut with Atlanta, appearing in five contests and earning one minor penalty. The next season he played mostly with the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs, again playing in 70 contests. He totaled 40 goals and 40 assists, and again made a short NHL appearance in Atlanta. He earned two assists in four games.

1976-77 would see Chouinard, affectionately known in some circles as “Gramps,” join the Flames for real. He ranked fourth on the club with 50 points, scoring on 17 of his 167 shots with 33 assists. He was second on the team with 12 power play assists, second worst on the team with a minus-12 rating, and earned only four minor penalties in 80 contests. The club posted a 34-34-12 season and lost in the first round of the playoffs in three games to the Los Angeles Kings. Chouinard scored twice through the series.

Chouinard took a step forward in his offensive production in 1977-78, scoring a team second 28 goals on 146 shots, along with 30 assists for an also team-second 58 points, a plus-8 rating, and eight penalty minutes. He led the club with 11 power play goals, and earned 5.2 point shares, the third best total amongst Atlanta’s forwards. Atlanta went 34-27-19 on the season, then lost in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in two games to the Detroit Red Wings. Chouinard scored one goal.

In 1978-79, Chouinard eclipsed the 100 point mark for the only time in his career, with 107 (Bob MacMillan had 108). He scored an NHL-fourth 50 times on 229 shots to lead the club with a 21.8 shooting percentage, along with 57 assists while appearing in all 80 contests. He earned a plus-23 rating, 14 penalty minutes, and a team-leading 11 power play goals. Calgary went 41-31-8 on the season, then lost in two straight games to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1979-80 would see Chouinard come back to earth a bit, but still average over a point per game. He totaled 77 points in 76 games, with 31 goals and 46 assists. He took 208 shots on goal with a plus-5 rating and 22 penalty minutes. He was second out of the team’s forwards with a 6.6 point share. Atlanta went 35-32-13, then lost their first series three-games-to-one to the New York Rangers. Chouinard had a goal and three assists.

For the Flames first season in Calgary, Chouinard only played in 52 games, but still ranked second on the club with 83 points. He scored 31 goals on 141 shots with 52 assists, with a team-third 7.1 point share. The club went 39-27-14 on the season, then won the first two playoff series in franchise history, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in three straight and the Philadelphia Flyers in seven before dropping a six game series to the Minnesota North Stars. Chouinard’s 17 points led the Flames, with three goals and 14 assists.

In 1981-82, Chouinard led the Flames with 80 points in only 64 games. He had 23 goals on 182 shots with 57 assists, a minus-5 rating and 12 penalty minutes. Calgary went 29-34-17, then lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Vancouver Canucks, three-games-to-zero. Chouinard had a single assist.

1982-83 would be Chouinard’s last season with the Flames. For the third time in his seven full NHL seasons, he played in all 80 contests, placing fourth on the team with 72 points. He scored 13 goals on 158 shots with a team leading 59 assists, a club worst minus-24 rating, and 18 penalty minutes. The Flames closed the season at 32-34-14, then defeated the favoured Canucks in four before dropping to the Oilers in five. Chouinard had a goal and six assists through the postseason.

During the 1983 offseason, the Flames traded Chouinard to the St. Louis Blues for “future considerations.” He played one season there, totaling a dozen goals with 34 assists. After his retirement, he joined the coaching ranks in the QMJHL, heading five different clubs over a 25-year period. His 515 wins as a head coach is a league record.

All-Time Statline: 514 games, 193 goals, 336 assists, plus-13 rating, 110 penalty minutes, 39.17 point shares.

by Kevin Kraczkowski