Francis Lessard

Francis Lessard (born May 30, 1979) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who most recently played for the Trois-Rivières Blizzard in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). While he had stints in the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers and Ottawa Senators, the majority of his career was spent in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was widely recognized for his role as an enforcer, known for his tough, physical play and for defending his teammates on the ice.

Playing career As a young hockey player, Lessard showcased his developing talent on a prominent stage by participating in the prestigious Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments in both 1992 and 1993. Representing the Rive-Nord Elites, a well-regarded minor ice hockey team, Lessard competed against top youth players from across North America and around the world.

Selected from the QMJHL's Val-d'Or Foreurs, Lessard had his rights traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1999 while still playing junior hockey. He went on to play three seasons with the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, before being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers.

Lessard broke into the NHL with the Thrashers during the 2001–02 season, the same year he captured a Calder Cup title with the Chicago Wolves. Over four seasons, he appeared in 91 games for the Thrashers before joining the New York Rangers organization in 2006. He then spent two seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, before signing with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008 and playing two more AHL seasons with the San Antonio Rampage. In August 2010, Lessard signed with the Ottawa Senators.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1996–97 Val-d'Or Foreurs QMJHL 66 1 9 10 312 — — — — — 1997–98 Val-d'Or Foreurs QMJHL 63 3 20 23 338 19 1 6 7 101 1998–99 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 53 12 36 48 295 — — — — — 1999–00 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 78 4 8 12 416 5 0 1 1 7 2000–01 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 64 3 7 10 330 10 0 0 0 33 2001–02 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 60 0 6 6 251 — — — — — 2001–02 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 5 0 0 0 26 — — — — — 2001–02 Chicago Wolves AHL 7 2 1 3 34 15 0 1 1 40 2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 18 0 2 2 61 — — — — — 2002–03 Chicago Wolves AHL 50 2 5 7 194 1 0 0 0 0 2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 62 1 1 2 181 — — — — — 2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 6 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2005–06 Chicago Wolves AHL 36 2 3 5 161 — — — — — 2006–07 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 58 3 6 9 309 — — — — — 2007–08 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 14 4 1 5 49 — — — — — 2008–09 San Antonio Rampage AHL 59 2 2 4 324 — — — — — 2009–10 San Antonio Rampage AHL 61 2 2 4 289 — — — — — 2010–11 Binghamton Senators AHL 36 2 1 3 187 — — — — — 2010–11 Ottawa Senators NHL 24 0 0 0 78 — — — — — 2011–12 Binghamton Senators AHL 43 1 1 2 138 — — — — — 2012–13 Cornwall River Kings LNAH 36 2 8 10 147 9 2 1 3 48 2013–14 Cornwall River Kings LNAH 31 3 6 9 192 6 0 1 1 22 2014–15 Cornwall River Kings LNAH 15 4 2 6 81 — — — — — AHL totals 566 27 43 70 2682 16 0 1 1 40 NHL totals 115 1 3 4 346 — — — — —

Awards and honours 1997-98 - Memorial Cup All-Star Team

Transactions August 8, 2010 - Signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Ottawa Senators. July 3, 2008 - Signed as a free agent by the Phoenix Coyotes. September 13, 2006 - Invited by the New York Rangers to training camp. March 15, 2002 - Atlanta Thrashers traded David Harlock and third-round (Tyler Redenbach) and seventh-round (Joe Pavelski) selections in 2003 to the Philadelphia Flyers for Francis Lessard. May 25, 1999 - Carolina Hurricanes traded Francis Lessard to the Philadelphia Flyers for an eighth-round selection (Antti Jokella) in 1999. June 21, 1997 - Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round (80th overall) in 1997.