Everblades Increase Offensive Ranks, Sign Lemieux
Published on September 9, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release
ESTERO, FL - Florida Everblades President and General Manager Craig Brush along with Head Coach Greg Poss announced today that forward Francis Lemieux has signed a contract for the 2010-11 season.
Lemieux becomes the latest addition to the Everblades, bringing the current roster to 12 and is the seventh forward to ink a deal. Last season the 26-year-old split time in North American between the Grand Rapid Griffins of the American Hockey League and the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL before finishing off the year in Austria with the Vienna Capitals.
With the Griffins last season the Sherbrooke, Quebec native posted ten points (2g, 8a) in 21 games and also notched 12 points (9g, 3a) in 13 games with the Wranglers. At the end of January Lemieux joined Vienna where he finished the regular season with one goal in four games before recording five points (2g, 3a) and 45 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games.
"Francis is a good, fast skater," Poss said. "He's spent most of his career in the American League and with that kind of experience we're expecting him to show good leadership as well. He is a solid all-around player that is strong at both ends of the ice, and he's the type of player we'll be looking to be possibly have on our top line."
The majority of Lemieux's professional career has taken place in the AHL, skating in 249 games from 2005-10 with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Grand Rapids. The 5-foot-11, 185 pound centerman began his pro career with Hamilton where he spent two full seasons and the start of his third year. With the Bulldogs Lemieux posted his best professional season notching 40 points (18g, 22a) and 76 PIM in 67 games as a rookie.
Midway through the 2007-08 campaign Lemieux was involved in a trade that saw the Montreal Canadiens ship his rights to the Detroit Red Wings. He finished off the 07-08 season by playing in 26 games with the Griffins. Lemieux's only full season with Grand Rapids came in 2008-09 when he skated in 58 games, scoring 29 points.
Before joining the pro ranks Lemieux spent four seasons at the junior level with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In his four-year junior career Lemieux tallied 250 points (99g, 151a) and 181 PIM in 272 games, and posted his best season in his final year in 2004-05 when he recorded 82 points (32g, 50a) in 70 games.
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