Jesse Bélanger
| Jesse Bélanger | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
June 15, 1969 Saint-Georges, QC, CAN |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Montreal Canadiens Florida Panthers Vancouver Canucks Edmonton Oilers SC Herisau New York Islanders Hamburg Freezers Frankfurt Lions |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1991–2013 | ||
Joseph Jesse Dave Bélanger (born June 15, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League from 1991 to 2001.
Despite an excellent junior career with the Granby Bisons during which he twice topped 100 points, Bélanger was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft. He signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens in 1990, and immediately showed his talent, scoring 98 points for the Fredericton Canadiens of the American Hockey League.
Bélanger spent three seasons in the Montreal organization, but struggled to crack a deep, talented team full-time. He was recalled for 4 games in 1991–92, and received a 19-game stint in the NHL in 1992–93, during which he scored his first 4 NHL goals and added 2 assists for 6 points. He was on the team's roster for the 1993 playoffs and appeared in 9 games, helping Montreal win their 24th Stanley Cup.
Bélanger received his big break the next summer when he was exposed in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft and claimed by the Florida Panthers. In Florida he received a chance to play regularly, and responded in fine fashion in 1993–94, posting 17 goals and a team-leading 33 assists for 50 points. He would follow up with another strong season in the lockout-shortened 1994–95 campaign, leading the Panthers with 15 goals and 29 points in 47 games.
In 1995–96, Bélanger was again amongst the Panthers' leading scorers when he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline. He finished the season with 42 points including a career-high 20 goals, but struggled in Vancouver and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs.
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