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Position: C
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’00”
Weight: 195
Birth Date: 1/5/1968
Birth Country: Canada (Pont-Rouge, Quebec)
Year Drafted: 1988
Round Drafted: 4
Overall Choice: 81
Salary 2003/04: $2,025,000.00
HW 2004 Mid-Season Scouting Report
It’s a shame about the back problems, because if he could just remedy those, he’d continue to be a useful player for 82 games year in and year out. The fact he started the year so strongly has to be attributed to the summer layoff and subsequent rest for his aching back. After playing so much in the first half of the season, his game started to go downhill until he had to pull himself from the lineup because of the recurrent problems.
Juneau is still an excellent defender when healthy. He’s been able to track the best players in the game and hold them off the scoresheet more times than Hab fans will care to remember. His penalty kill work is also exemplary and it’s the little things his experience gives him, like patience with the puck, that allows him to be so successful in those situations. An extra step instead of a panicked clear usually gives him a window of opportunity that most would completely miss out on.
Offensively it’s been a slow year. The back and legs don’t get him into the opposition end nearly as much as they used to, and his worry about being caught has him playing very high in the offensive zone. That doesn’t take away from his passing ability, though. He’s still extremely good at making plays when he gives himself the chance, and if he’d been playing with two scoring types rather than defensively oriented players, you might see his point total much higher particularly in the assist column.
Right now, his biggest contribution to the club is as a teacher, I’d guess. He took Bulis under his wing and made him an extremely good defensive player. I’d like to see him do the same with Hossa as well. He’s stated in the past that he’d like to transition to coaching, and I think that’ll suit him well. He’s got a great grasp of the game; his hockey sense is wonderful. He certainly took the new system offered this year and ran with it, probably being the player leading the charge in adaptation. As a player, I’d say his days in Montreal are numbered, in fact I’d guess he might hang them up at the end of the year. However, I can see him taking some kind of coaching role with the Habs – perhaps an assistant in Hamilton to start – when he does give up playing.
Joé Juneau was drafted 81st overall in the 1988 Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. After the 1992 Olympics, he made his NHL debut. In 14 games down the stretch, he scored 14 assists and 19 points. In the playoffs, he scored 21 points in 15 games as the Bruins reached the Wales Conference finals before losing to the Penguins. In 1992-93, he played all 84 games as a rookie and scored 32 goals and 102 points as the Bruins won the Adams Division season title. His 70 assists set an NHL record for assists by a left winger and tied the record for assists by a rookie. He won Rookie of the Month honours in November and was an All-Rookie Team forward at year’s end. In the playoffs, he scored six points in four games. At the Awards Banquet, Joé was named runner-up to the Calder Trophy for rookie-of-the-year honours.
In 1993-94, Joé was traded on March 21 to the Washington Capitals for Al Iafrate. That season, Joé scored 64 assists and 85 points in 74 games between the two teams. In the playoffs, he scored nine points in 11 games as the Capitals reached the second round. In the shortened 1994-95 season, Joé led the Capitals with 38 assists and 43 points in 44 games. In the playoffs, he scored eight points in seven games. In 1995-96, Joé scored 50 assists and 64 points in 80 games. In the playoffs, he scored seven assists in five games. In 1997-98, he was limited to 58 games, but still scored 42 points as the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
In 1997-98, Joé scored 31 points in 56 games as the Capitals improved 17 points to get back into the playoffs. He then scored 17 points in 21 games as the Capitals won the Prince of Wales Trophy in the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals. Joé scored four game-winning goals in the Capitals’ march to the finals.
In 1998-99, Joé was traded on March 22 with a third-round draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Alexei Tezikov and a fourth-round draft pick. In 72 games between the two teams, he scored 43 points. In the playoffs, he scored 11 points in 20 games as the Sabres won the Prince of Wales Trophy in the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Stars in the Stanley Cup finals.
On October 25, 1999, Joé signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators. That year, he scored 37 points in 65 games as the team finished second in their division. In the playoffs, Joé scored three points in six games. On June 23, 2000, Joé was claimed in the Expansion Draft by the Minnesota Wild. That same day, he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for the rights to Rickard Wallin. In Joé’s first season with the Coyotes, he scored 33 points in 69 games.
On June 15, 2001, Joé was traded to the Montréal Canadiens for future considerations.
