most points scored by an American-born player in one season. His play-making ability helped his linemate Alexander Mogilny set a team season record with 76 goals (as of 2020, both LaFontaine's 95 assists, 148 points and Mogilny's 76 goals still stand as the Sabres' team records for a single season). LaFontaine finished as runner-up to Mario Lemieux in the scoring race and earned a spot on the postseason NHL All-Star second team. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lady Byng Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player. In 1994–95 he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplified the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. LaFontaine is one of five players in NHL history to skate for all three teams based in the state of New York. The others were Mike Donnelly, Jason Dawe, Martin Biron, and Taylor Pyatt. Unique amongst them, LaFontaine played his entire career in the state of New York while Donnelly, Pyatt, Biron and Dawe all played for additional teams outside the state in their careers. LaFontaine once joked about it, saying "I think I'm the only player in history who has been traded twice and hasn't had to change his license plate." International play LaFontaine was selected to play for the United States national team in the 1984 Winter Olympics. LaFontaine scored five goals and three assists as the US finished in seventh place. He also played in the 1998 Winter Olympics, where he scored one goal and one assist as the US finished sixth. In the 1989 Ice Hockey World Championships, LaFontaine scored five goals and three assists as the US finished in sixth place. LaFontaine played in the Canada Cup tournament twice, first in 1987 and then 1991, where he helped the US reach the finals but lost to Canada. In the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, LaFontaine scored two goals and two assists as the US beat Canada 5–2 in the final, earning him his first international championship win. Retirement The 1996–97 season was the beginning of the end of his career. In a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, LaFontaine was hammered by François Leroux with a high hit to the head, knocking him out with a concussion, and resulted in post-concussion syndrome. He was determined to return, even though the doctors advised against such an attempt.