Born in LaSalle, Ontario, Marc Reaume played four seasons with the St. Mike's Majors of the OHA from 1950 to 1954. With his NHL rights owned by Toronto, he stuck his toe into Maple Leafs waters for five games before heading to Pittsburgh of the AHL to iron out his game.
Eventually, as the Leafs entered a rebuilding phase, Reaume found a role for himself as a stay-at-home journeyman defender for parts of six seasons at the Gardens. But when Red Kelly hit the trading block with Reaume as the asking price, it was impossible for the Leafs to refuse such a Red Wings godsend.
In the Motor City, Reaume was plagued with injuries that undermined his relationship with the club. After only 49 games as a Wings defenceman, he was dispatched to the AHL where he settled in for the long haul as a league standout.
In 1963, while with the Hershey Bears, he was voted a First-Team All-Star and won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's top defender. As he reflected on his professional experiences, Reaume noted that he considered himself to be a class A minor-league player but only a fringe skater at the NHL level where he felt he lacked confidence in himself.
Nonetheless, over the years he won the odd return to NHL life, joining the Canadiens for three games in 1964 and the Canucks for 27 in 1970-71. Otherwise, his home was with the Tulsa Oilers, Vancouver Canucks of the WHL, and the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
Reaume's lengthy career came to an abrupt end, however, shortly after making his transition from the Canucks to Rochester. For reasons unknown, his car left the road and hit a tree while en route to join the Americans for a game. His injuries were life threatening and forced his immediate retirement from hockey.
