| Didier Pitre | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1963 | |||
 | |||
| Born |
September 1, 1883 Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Died |
July 29, 1934 (aged 50) Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing/Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Montreal Le National Michigan Soo Indians Montreal Shamrocks Edmonton Pros Renfrew Millionaires Vancouver Millionaires Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 1908–1928 | ||
Joseph George Didier "Cannonball" Pitre (September 1, 1883 – July 29, 1934) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "Cannonball," he was renowned for having one of the hardest shots during his playing career. One of the first players to join the Montreal Canadiens, Pitre and his teammates' French-Canadian heritage led to the team being nicknamed The Flying Frenchmen. His teammates on the Canadiens included Jack Laviolette and Newsy Lalonde.
Though he spent the latter part of his career almost exclusively with the Canadiens, Pitre played for several other teams in various leagues early on, including the International Professional Hockey League, the first professional hockey league, and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. A prolific scorer, Pitre won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1916, the first for the team. In 1963 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
He was the uncle of Vic Desjardins, a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.