Francis Lessard | |||
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Born |
Montreal, QC, CAN |
May 30, 1979 ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | ||
Position | Right Wing | ||
Shot | Right | ||
Played for |
Atlanta Thrashers Ottawa Senators |
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NHL Draft | 80th overall, 1997 Carolina Hurricanes |
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Playing career | 1999–2016 |
Francis Lessard (born May 30, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He last played with the Trois-Rivières Blizzard of Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). He has played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Ottawa Senators of the NHL, but has spent most of his career in the AHL. Lessard is generally known as an enforcer for his physical style of play and his ability to protect his teammates during a game.
Drafted from the QMJHL's Val-d'Or Foreurs, Lessard's rights were traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1999 while still at junior level. He spent three seasons with their AHL affiliate the Philadelphia Phantoms before he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers.
With the Thrashers, Lessard made his National Hockey League debut with the Thrashers during the 2001–02 season. In that season, Lessard won the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves. Lessard played 91 games over four seasons with Atlanta before moving to the New York Rangers organization in 2006. He played two seasons for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL before signing with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008, playing two seasons for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. He signed with the Ottawa Senators in August 2010.