Pierre Plante

Pierre Renald Plante was born on May 14, 1951, in Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada (today Salaberry-de-Valleyfield). He grew up in the Monteregie region and rose through Quebec junior hockey with the Drummondville Rangers. In 1968-69 he recorded 11 goals and 24 points in 44 QJHL games. The next season, in the QMJHL, he exploded for 51 goals and 51 assists in 51 games. In 1970-71 he added 38 goals and 88 points in 58 games. That scoring and physical edge made him a first-round NHL prospect; the Philadelphia Flyers selected him ninth overall in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, the club's first-round pick that year between Larry Wright and Bill Barber.

Plante split his first professional seasons between the Flyers and the AHL Richmond Robins before a midseason move to the St. Louis Blues in 1972-73. He thrived in St. Louis as a durable right winger, playing 78 games in 1973-74 (26 goals, 54 points) and a career-high 34 goals and 66 points in all 80 games in 1974-75. He continued as a near-ironman through 1976-77. After a season with the Chicago Black Hawks (1977-78), he signed with the New York Rangers and reached the 1979 Stanley Cup Final, posting six assists in 18 playoff games. He finished his NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80, also skating briefly for the AHL Syracuse Firebirds. Across nine NHL seasons he totaled 599 regular-season games, 125 goals, 172 assists and 297 points, with a reputation for skating flash and reliability.

Plante remained closely tied to the Valleyfield area after his playing days. He resided in Ste-Barbe with his wife, Nancy Connor. They raised two sons, Oliver and Kevin. Oliver's partner is Caterine; Kevin's partner is Noemie. Their grandchildren include Ally, Mason and Sacha. He had four brothers, Jacques, Bernard, Alain and Serge, who were frequently mentioned in family and community remembrances. Condolence messages after his death described involvement in local minor hockey, including hockey mineur at St-Timothee and appreciation from junior programs such as the Voltigeurs Junior AA, as well as friendships formed through golf, bowling and soccer. Friends called him a gentleman and an inspiration to younger players who watched him turn pro from Drummondville.

Pierre Plante died in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, on September 27, 2026, at the age of 75. A cause of death was not publicly detailed in the Wikipedia summary or the published funeral notice. The funeral home J.A. Larin et fils announced that he was the husband of Nancy Connor and listed surviving sons, grandchildren, brothers and extended family. Condolences were received on Friday, October 16, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m. at the J.A. Larin complex at 317 rue Victoria in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, followed by a chapel celebration at 2 p.m. Community messages poured in from hockey and family friends across Quebec.

Plante leaves a legacy as a Valleyfield-raised NHL first-rounder who logged nearly 600 big-league games and helped carry the Rangers to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final. Blues fans remember his mid-1970s scoring spike and ironman seasons; Quebec junior hockey remembers the Drummondville production that made him a ninth-overall pick. Locally he was recalled as more than a former pro: a present father and husband, a neighbour, and a volunteer presence around minor hockey. His Wikipedia page and NHL statistical databases preserve the line of five NHL clubs and 297 career points. For People Forever, his story links Quebec junior hockey of the early 1970s to the NHL of that decade and to the community life he returned to in Ste-Barbe and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.