Nailers Sign NHL Tough Guy
November 21, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
WHEELING, WV - The Wheeling Nailers, the "AA" affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers, have announced that they have come to terms with former Penguin enforcer Francois Leroux.
Leroux, 37, spent 1994-97 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and accumulated 356 penalty minutes in his 165 games with the club. His NHL career has also seen him play with the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and the Colorado Avalanche for a total of 577 penalty minutes in 249 games.
Last season, Leroux spent 12 games with the St. Jean Chiefs of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) which has the unofficial reputation as the world's roughest hockey league. He picked up 42 penalty minutes with the Chiefs, a team that had 12 different players register more than 100 penalty minutes last season.
Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round (19th overall) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Leroux broke into the NHL with the Oilers in 1988-89. Competing for a job on a team that had just won its fourth Stanley Cup in five years and featured players such as Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen, Leroux appeared in 11 games for the Oilers between 88-93.
After being claimed off waivers by Ottawa on October 6, 1993, he split time between the Senators and Prince Edward Island of the AHL for the next two seasons. He stuck in the NHL with the Penguins during the 94-95 season and completed his NHL career with the Avalanche in 97-98.
He spent 1998-03 in different organizations in the IHL and AHL, even playing one season in the German Elite League, before returning to the states to play 57 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2002-03. After being out of professional hockey since 2003, Leroux returned to skate last season in St. Jean.
Leroux is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Nailers take on the Dayton Bombers at WesBanco Arena at 7:05p.m. It is a WesBanco Wednesday which means tickets are buy one, get one free when you show your WesBanco debit card.
For more information or to place a ticket order, call 304-234-GOAL or visit www.wheelingnailers.com.
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