SPHL Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

Dawgs Add Lavallée, Release Heppner

Published on March 22, 2023 under SPHL (SPHL)
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs News Release


ROANOKE, VA. - The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Wednesday that the team has signed forward Jason Lavallée, and released forward Brady Heppner. Lavallée will wear number 55 for Roanoke.

Lavallée is in his second year professionally, appearing most recently with the Evansville Thunderbolts. In his two games with Evansville, Lavallée scored one goal, had three shots on net, and 10 penalty minutes. Prior to joining the Thunderbolts, the Thetford Mines, Quebec native had played professionally in Germany. While playing for HC Landsberg in the German third division this season, the five-foot-eleven forward tallied 14 goals, 24 assists, and 71 penalty minutes in 34 games played. In the 2021-2022 season, Lavallée played for EA Schongau, the same team that fellow Dawg Tristan Gagnon played for earlier this season, in the German fourth division. With Schongau, the 27-year old forward recorded 33 goals, 21 assists, and 94 penalty minutes in 29 games played. Lavallée played junior hockey in the QCHL, BCHL, and SJHL before playing two seasons for the University of Québec-Trois-Rivières from 2017-2019.

Heppner came back this fall after completing his first full season with Roanoke last year. After signing with the Dawgs and recording two assists in the final three games of the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, the left-shot winger broke out for the team in the 2021-2022 campaign. The Crookston, Minnesota native tallied 20 goals and 23 assists in 54 regular season games, while adding two goals and an assist in the postseason. This season, Heppner notched nine goals and 13 assists in 37 games played, including a team-best five game-winning goals. The five-foot-nine forward notched 39 goals and 40 assists in 99 games in his collegiate days at Saint John's University (NCAA-DIII), and made the All-MIAC Conference First Team three years in a row.

Roanoke will return home this Friday night, March 24 at 7:05 p.m. EST against the Fayetteville Marksmen at Berglund Center. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available by calling the Rail Yard Dawgs office, visiting the 'Tickets' page on our website, or by visiting the Berglund Center box office.

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