Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Catch: L
Born: 22 Jun 1952, Montreal PQ
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Regular Season Goaltending Record (key)
| year | team | ||||||||
| 1972-73 | Philadelphia | ||||||||
| 1973-74 | Vancouver | ||||||||
| Totals: |
Playoff Goaltending Record
| year | team | ||||||||
| 1973 | Philadelphia | ||||||||
| Totals: |
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Archambault Says No to Montreal • by Frank Bertucci • The Hockey Spectator • December 8, 1972
You'd think a native of Montreal would jump at the chance to play hockey for the Montreal Canadiens, even if it meant sitting in the minors for a few years. Yves Archambault jumped, but not to the Canadiens. The 20-year-old rookie goalie, who joined the Blazers when Bernie Parent broke his foot, was drafted by the Canadiens, but decided to sign with the WHA. "Montreal has six good goalies," he explained, "so I would be seventh, Here, I am only number three." Between Parent and Archambault is 40-year-old minor league veteran Marcel Paille. "I know the Blazers had two good goalers, so I told them I would rather play in the minors for a year or two instead of sitting on the bench," Yves said. "There are not too many goalies who play professionally at 20, I didn't mind being sent to Roanoke because I knew I would play." But he didn't have much time to enjoy Virginia's Shenandoah Valley before he was forced to play professionally at 20. "They called me the night Bernie Parent was hurt, and told me to report. The Blazers had a game Friday night and Saturday, so I think maybe they use me Saturday. I didn't expect to play right away." But Phil Watson did use him right away and he scored the Blazers' first win, 5-4, over Los Angeles. He played the next night, but lost to Ottawa, 5-3. In both games he gave up three goals in the first period before playing spectacularly for the last two. Archambault is used to seeing many pucks flying at him in one night. He started last season with St. Jerome in the Quebec Junior League and had a 10.00 average in six games. He was traded to Sorel where he lowered his average to 3.57 in 31 games. "St. Jerome was bad," he said. "The coach was bad and so was the team. The year before last, the first game I played for them was against the Remparts in Quebec, when Guy Lafleur played for them. They took 73 shots, 30 in the first period. We lost 10-3 but only two or three of the goals were bad ones." Yves seems to remember every shot taken at him, and how he stopped or didn't stop it. "The first time I play against someone I don't know what to expect. But when I see them again I know what to do. Guy Lafleur, he only scored three goals against me in the Quebec League. When he comes down on a breakaway he always has the same move, he tries to go to his backhand. Jacques Richard was the same way. This year Guy Trottier scored against me the first time we played Ottawa. The next time he tried the same move, but I stopped the shot. Once you know what to look for it's easy." In five games with the Blazers, Yves has given up 14 goals (3.26 average), but he's not sure how much longer he'll be here. "If they send me back to Roanoke when Bernie comes back, I'll go," he said. "I would rather play in Roanoke than sit here." Like everyone connected with the team, Yves expects the Blazers to start winning soon. "I think we're like the NHL team that played the Russians. We have a lot of stars who have not played together before. Once everyone is healthy and playing together, we'll be winning." But Yves Archambault wants most of all to play. "When I told the Canadiens I signed with Philadelphia, Claude Ruel said I was making a big mistake," he recalled. "He said I would play a lot for Montreal. But that was just talk, you know. I think I did right." |
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