Since retiring from the NHL in 1998, Pat LaFontaine and his wife, Mary Beth LaFontaine, have been operating the organization Companions in Courage to help hospitalized children connect with their families.
Pat LaFontaine has been a hero his entire life, whether on the ice rink or outside.
The third overall pick of the 1983 NHL draft, LaFontaine played for the Islanders until 1991 before joining the Sabres and playing for them until 1997.
Pat LaFontaine is one of the NHL's 100 greatest! Congrats! #NHL100 #Isles pic.twitter.com/GsDmVBMhQe
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 28, 2017
LaFontaine played one season for the Rangers before retiring in 1998. In his 15-year-long career, LaFontaine won several individual trophies but failed to win a single Stanley Cup trophy.
Pat served as an executive of the Buffalo Sabres until March 2014. He has since established his own business and runs his non-profit charity alongside his wife.
But not all business deals have been fruitful for LaFontaine. In August 2024, the hockey legend sued JLL execs for ghosting on a $2.8 billion project.
Pat LaFontaine’s Wife, Mary Beth LaFontaine, is a Board Of Directors at CIC!
Pat LaFontaine met his wife, Mary Beth LaFontaine, when he was 19 and she was 18.
Mary lived next door to the Henning family. Lorne Henning, a former New York Islanders player and later a coach, introduced Mary to her future husband.
The couple tied the knot three years after their first meeting in 1987.
In a 1990 interview with The New York Times, Pat talked about Beth’s support during the initial part of his career.
The center said Islanders didn’t welcome him with open arms as they were a tight-knit group, and LaFontaine was one of the guys who took their buddy’s job.
Pat mentioned that during those frustrating periods, Mary supported him.
The center mentioned his wife once again during an interview with the official NHL website. He said,
The sport has brought me happiness beyond anything I could’ve dreamed. It introduced me to my wife of 30 years, Mary Beth, and provided for my family. It has given me lifelong memories and friendships that I cherish to this day.
via: NHL
Mary Beth is on the board of directors of Courage in Companion, the non-profit organization established by Pat in 1997.
With her husband, Mary donated luxury suites to the HSBC Arena for the Children of Buffalo and delivered televisions and cable service to the Buffalo Children’s Hospital.
The wife of the Islanders legend has stayed away from social media and rarely makes any public appearances.
Mary Beth And Pat LaFontaine Are Proud Parents To Three Kids!
Pat and Mary Beth LaFontaine have raised three kids, two daughters and a son.
Like their mom, Pat’s daughters, Brianna and Sarah, have kept a low profile, and not much is known about their personal lives.
However, a source mentions Brianna’s husband, Randel McCoy, an assistant wrestling coach at Cold Spring Harbor High School, is going through ALS.
Randel and Brianna met after college. McCoy was an assistant coach on the high school wrestling team where Brianna grew up, and she was a special education teacher at a neighboring school.
Randel was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, but that didn’t deter their love story.
Brianna and Randel tied the knot on November 8, 2019, with Brianna saying, ALS stands for ‘A Love Story.’
Pat and Mary Beth’s third and youngest child, Daniel LaFontaine, tried following in his father’s footsteps.
Daniel played for Long Island Royals as a teenager and later for Buffalo Jr. Sabres.
He enrolled at Canisius College but only played hockey during his freshman year.
However, it looks like Daniel’s hockey dreams were cut short, and he never made it to the professional level.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Pat LaFontaine was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.
- He is also one of the co-founders of Valor Hockey, which makes highly-rated hockey helmets.
