Francis Bélanger

Francis Bélanger
Born (1978-01-15) January 15, 1978
Bellefeuille, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 227 lb (103 kg; 16 st 3 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Montreal Canadiens
NHL draft 124th overall, 1998
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1998–2013

Francis Henri Bélanger (born January 15, 1978) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who appeared in 10 National Hockey League (NHL) games for the Montreal Canadiens during the 2000–01 season.

Career

On July 23, 1999, while enjoying what was supposed to be a leisurely boating trip in British Columbia alongside fellow Philadelphia Flyers prospects Dmitri Tertyshny and Mikhail Chernov, Bélanger witnessed a harrowing tragedy. As the boat hit a wave, Tertyshny was thrown forward over the bow, and in a devastating accident, the boat's propeller fatally struck him, severing his jugular vein.[1] The sudden and violent nature of the incident left Bélanger deeply traumatized. Struggling to cope with the loss of his close friend and teammate, he fell into a spiral of depression and began drinking heavily as a way to numb the emotional pain. Recognizing his deteriorating mental health, the Flyers organization stepped in with support: they granted him leave with full pay, encouraged him to pursue professional help, and had their strength and conditioning coach provide him with a structured daily workout plan in hopes of giving him a sense of stability and purpose.[2] Despite these efforts, Bélanger's struggles persisted, and on November 29, 2000, he failed a drug test, which led to his release from the organization. Determined to reclaim his career and rebuild his life, Bélanger entered a rehabilitation program to work toward sobriety.[3] His efforts began to pay off when, on January 13, 2001, he earned a seven-game tryout with the Quebec Citadelles of the AHL.[4] Making the most of this opportunity, he scored a hat trick in a 5–2 victory over the Portland Pirates[5] and accumulated 10 goals and 11 points in just 14 games. His impressive performance caught the attention of the Montreal Canadiens, who offered him a two-year contract worth $300,000.[2][6] Bélanger's perseverance culminated in a call-up to the NHL on February 15, 2001,[4] and he officially made his NHL debut two days later in a game against the Washington Capitals.[7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1994–95 Abitibi-Témiscamingue Forestiers QMAAA 4101— —————
1994–95 Laval Régents QMAAA 281181978 14088—
1995–96 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 10000 —————
1995–96 St-Jérôme Panthers QPJHL 263710179 —————
1996–97 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 53131326134 822429
1997–98 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 33222345133 —————
1997–98 Rimouski Océanic QMJHL 30181028248 171482261
1998–99 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 58131326242 1643716
1999–00 Trenton Titans ECHL 911229 —————
1999–00 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 355611112 —————
2000–01 Montreal Canadiens NHL 1000029 —————
2000–01 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 1313432 —————
2000–01 Quebec Citadelles AHL 2215419101 925720
2001–02 Quebec Citadelles AHL 69152641165 31120
2002–03 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 404101450 —————
2003–04 Charlotte Checkers ECHL 521325 —————
2003–04 Richmond RiverDogs UHL 1711132447 411232
2003–04 Granby Prédateurs QSMHL 42171633179 —————
2004–05 Richmond RiverDogs UHL 63262652174 —————
2004–05 Danbury Trashers UHL 1318935 11371023
2005–06 Danbury Trashers UHL 423537 —————
2005–06 Sorel-Tracy Mission LNAH 38242246145 11641016
2006–07 Sorel-Tracy Mission LNAH 40211940118 1023528
2007–08 Sorel-Tracy Mission LNAH 11012 —————
2007–08 Rivière-du-Loup CIMT QSCHL 2722194199 10571241
2010–11 Sorel-Tracy GCI LNAH 3212112395 —————
2012–13 Sorel-Tracy Carvena HC LNAH 1523544 —————
NHL totals 10 0 0 0 29 — — — — —

References

  1. ↑ Panaccio, Tim (July 25, 1999). "Tertyshny Is Killed In Boating Accident". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Panaccio, Tim (March 4, 2001). "After tragedy, personal problems, former Flyers prospect starts over". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Bowen, Les (February 27, 2001). "Belanger gets fresh start". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Kennedy, Kostya (March 12, 2001). "No Longer on Thin Ice". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Belanger named AHL player of week". The Daily News. January 30, 2001. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Bell, Terry (February 21, 2001). "Habby ending realized". The Province. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Rocky debut". Montreal Gazette. February 18, 2001. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
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