Junior Lessard
Encyclopedia
Lucien Lessard, Jr known as Junior Lessard (born May 26, 1980) is a professional ice hockey
player currently playing for Idaho Steelheads
of the ECHL
.
where he led the NCAA in goals (32) and points (63) during the 2003–04 season, numbers that would be good enough to win the Hobey Baker Award
. He also led the WCHA
in the same categories with 19 goals and 39 points in conference play.
On April 15, 2004, after winning the Hobey Baker Award in his senior season, Lessard signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Stars
. He made his NHL
debut for the Stars during the 2005–06 season. Lessard was traded to Tampa Bay on January 15, 2008 in exchange for Dan Jancevski
.
Lessard signed a contract with the Atlanta Thrashers
on July 9, 2008. Lessard was assigned to affiliate the Chicago Wolves
to start the 2008–09
season. On January 13, 2008, he was traded by the Thrashers to the New York Islanders
for Brett Skinner
and was immediately sent to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
.
On October 7, 2009 Lessard signed a one-year contract for SM-liiga
team Ilves
, but after only 4 games on November 4, Lessard was released due to injury. On January 13, 2010, he resumed playing back in Canada signing with semi-pro team the Thetford Mines Isothermic of the LNAH. On February 1, 2010, after recovering from injury Junior signed with German
team Augsburger Panther
of the DEL for the remainder of the season.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player currently playing for Idaho Steelheads
Idaho Steelheads
The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003....
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
.
Playing career
Lessard attended the University of Minnesota DuluthUniversity of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
where he led the NCAA in goals (32) and points (63) during the 2003–04 season, numbers that would be good enough to win the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
. He also led the WCHA
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
in the same categories with 19 goals and 39 points in conference play.
On April 15, 2004, after winning the Hobey Baker Award in his senior season, Lessard signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
. He made his NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
debut for the Stars during the 2005–06 season. Lessard was traded to Tampa Bay on January 15, 2008 in exchange for Dan Jancevski
Dan Jancevski
Dan Jancevski is a Macedonian Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
.
Lessard signed a contract with the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
on July 9, 2008. Lessard was assigned to affiliate the Chicago Wolves
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
to start the 2008–09
2008–09 AHL season
The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...
season. On January 13, 2008, he was traded by the Thrashers to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for Brett Skinner
Brett Skinner
Brett Skinner is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League with Amur Khabarovsk.-Playing career:...
and was immediately sent to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in...
.
On October 7, 2009 Lessard signed a one-year contract for SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
team Ilves
Ilves
Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The ice hockey team plays in the SM-liiga at the Tampereen jäähalli in Hakametsä...
, but after only 4 games on November 4, Lessard was released due to injury. On January 13, 2010, he resumed playing back in Canada signing with semi-pro team the Thetford Mines Isothermic of the LNAH. On February 1, 2010, after recovering from injury Junior signed with German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team Augsburger Panther
Augsburger Panther
The Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion....
of the DEL for the remainder of the season.
Awards and achievements
- 1998–99 -MJHL All-Rookie Team
- 1999–00 -MJHL First All-Star Team
- 1999–00 -MJHL Most Valuable Player
- Named Canadian Junior A Hockey League Player of the Year with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey LeagueManitoba Junior Hockey LeagueThe Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
- 2003–04 -WCHAWestern Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
First All-Star Team - 2003–04 -WCHA Player of the Year
- 2003–04 -NCAA West First All-American Team
- 2003–04 -NCAA All-Tournament Team
- 2003–04 -NCAA Hobey Baker AwardHobey Baker AwardThe Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
- National Player of the Year honors in 2004 by College Hockey Online and Inside College Hockey
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000–01 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth University of Minnesota Duluth The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of... |
WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
36 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth | WCHA | 39 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth | WCHA | 40 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | U. of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 45 | 32 | 31 | 63 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Houston Aeros Houston Aeros The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
71 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Iowa Stars Iowa Stars The Iowa Chops were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The club was based in Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena.-History:... |
AHL | 64 | 25 | 31 | 56 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Iowa Stars | AHL | 65 | 27 | 25 | 52 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Iowa Stars | AHL | 36 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:... |
AHL | 19 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
NHL | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Chicago Wolves Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois... |
AHL | 41 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in... |
AHL | 21 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Ilves Ilves Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The ice hockey team plays in the SM-liiga at the Tampereen jäähalli in Hakametsä... |
SM-l SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Thetford Mines Isothermic | LNAH | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Augsburger Panther Augsburger Panther The Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion.... |
DEL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 27 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||