Paul Laus

Born in Beamsville, Ontario, Laus was a Junior B standout with the St. Catharines Falcons before joining the Ontario Hockey League. He spent three years with the Hamilton Steelhawks/Niagara Falls Thunder franchise and was selected 37th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He spent his first three years as a pro in the International Hockey League and ECHL, including a stint with the short-lived Albany Choppers.

The rugged blueliner was claimed by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. His solid defensive work and willingness to take on the toughest players in the league made him a valuable player on the club as it set an NHL record for expansion teams with 83 points. Two years later, he scored two goals and was a workhorse in 21 games as the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup finals. Laus continued to be an enforcer and team leader through the end of the 2000–01 season and was the only person to play in all of the club's first eight seasons. His grit and determination made him a fan favourite and he is still one of the most beloved all-time Panthers along with Scott Mellanby.

In the 1996–97 NHL season Laus set an NHL record with 39 fighting majors in 77 games while also setting career highs in assists, points, plus/minus, and penalty minutes.

However, injuries limited Laus to only 70 games over his last two seasons. After his latest wrist injury, in 2002, he never played another professional game. Eventually, Laus officially retired and moved back to Ontario.

• Holds the NHL record for most fighting majors in a season with 39, set during the 1996–97 season.
• Florida Panthers team record: Most career penalty minutes (1,702)

• The Internet Hockey Database - Paul Laus
• Interview with Paul Laus