Larouche traded: "The more never arrived"

With their struggles continuing through the early part of the 1977-78 season, the Pens pulled off their second blockbuster trade in less than a month in an effort to shake things up and keep fans coming out to the Igloo. After acquiring tough guy Dave Schultz from Los Angeles for popular forward Syl Apps on November 1, the Penguins bookended the month by sending former 50-goal man Pierre Larouche to Montreal for Pete Mahovlich and prospect Peter Lee.

In the Post-Gazette's report, coach Johnny Wilson cited a lack of drive on Larouche's part as a motivation for the deal. "Everyone associated with Pierre expected more and the more never arrived."

The 31-year-old Mahovlich welcomed the trade after having run-ins with Canadiens head coach Scotty Bowman. "Maybe we can get something going here," he said in this article.

The trade, which went down just prior to the Penguins meeting the Canadiens in Montreal on November 29, did not bear immediate results for Pittsburgh as the Habs handed them a 9-1 loss. Both Larouche and Mahovlich played for their new teams. 

Ironically, it was Lee who ended up being the most valuable addition for the Pens long term. He went on to score 245 points in 431 games for the club. Mahovlich would don the Penguin uniform 117 times and tally 114 points.

You can't help but wonder why General Manager Baz Bastien sent Larouche to a powerhouse division rival. As this thorough analysis by Pittsburgh Press writer Dan Donovan reveals, Larouche had a clause in his contract allowing him to approve any potential trade. He apparently nixed one the year before to the lowly Cleveland Barons before readily agreeing to go to the hockey Mecca of Montreal.

Although the Penguins picked up a big name with a few Stanley Cup rings to his name, it had to come as a huge disappointment to their fans to watch a homegrown potential superstar leave town under such sordid circumstances. Whether the deal was the result of Larouche's immaturity or the Penguins' rush to find a marquee name to help fill the Igloo's empty seats -- and it was probably a mixture of both -- the bottom line was that Penguins fans saw a young talent around whom a contending team could be built leave town, just as the long grind of the 1977-78 season truly began to set in...