A goaltender who played two seasons for the Boston Bruins in the 1990s died unexpectedly in Medicine Hat, Alberta,
earlier this week. He was 53 years old.
“Those who knew Blaine knew he was a compassionate person with a golden heart. His charismatic demeanor
thrilled everyone with scathing humour and snappy one-liners! “These are just a few of the characteristics he will be
remembered for,” Lacher’s obituary stated. “Blaine was a former professional hockey player, which is an
accomplishment few people achieve. He was also a passionate sports fan and bled blue and white for his favorite NFL
team: the Indianapolis Colts.
Lacher broke into the NHL in 1994-95 and had an absolutely fantastic run to help the Bruins reach the 1995 Stanley
Cup Playoffs, with 19 wins and a.902 save percentage in 35 games. Lacher’s 19 victories equaled Dominik Hasek,
Martin Brodeur, and Mike Vernon for the fifth-most in the NHL that season, while his.902 ranked 15th and his 2.41
goals against average ranked third, trailing only Hasek’s 2.11 and Ed Belfour’s 2.28.
In most years, such run would have earned Lacher some Calder Trophy votes as one of the league’s best rookies, but
that year’s class also included rookies Peter Forsberg, Jim Carey, and Paul Kariya.
Lacher’s numbers with the Bruins would plummet the next season, and he was out of pro hockey by the end of the
1996-97 season, having played 11 games with the IHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Overall, Lacher’s Bruins record was 22-16-4, with an.887 save percentage and 2.80 goals against average. Lacher’s
22 wins were the seventh-most among any Bruins goalkeeper who played for the club in the 1990s, and his.887 save
percentage was the sixth-best, sandwiching fifth-place Andy Moog (.888) and seventh-place Jon Casey (.881).
Prior to his pro career, Lacher was a standout with Lake Superior State University, and was an absolute force for the
Lakers en route to a 1994 National championship as the NCAA’s top club. During that season, Lacher posted 20 wins
in 30 games, and led the country in both save percentage (.918) and goals against average (1.98).
