{{short description|Canadian-German ice hockey player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Jens Meilleur | image = | image_size = 230px | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|01|11}} | birth_place = Marquette, Manitoba, Canada | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 196 | position = Right wing | shoots = Right | league = DEL2 | team = | played_for = Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers<br/>Kassel Huskies | ntl_team = | draft = Undrafted | career_start = 2014 | career_end = 2019 }}
'''Jens Meilleur''' (born January 11, 1993) is a retired Canadian-German professional ice hockey player.
== Playing career == Meilleur was a member of the Winnipeg Hawks Bantam 1 squad in the Winnipeg AAA league in 2007–08, and then played for the Central Plains Capitals in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League the following season. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League and by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines (seventh overall).<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2008/10/17/jens-meilleur-making-noise | title = Jens Meilleur making noise | last = nurun.com | website = Portage Daily Graphic | access-date = 2016-02-27 }}</ref>
In December 2009 and January 2010, he represented Team Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins, Ontario.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2010/01/14/meilleur-back-from-u17s | title = Meilleur back from U17s | last = nurun.com | website = Portage Daily Graphic | access-date = 2016-02-27 }}</ref> From 2010 to 2014, Meilleur played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, serving as assistant captain the last two years.
Prior to the 2014-15 campaign, he signed to play with the Kassel Huskies of the German second tier-league DEL2.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.wheatkings.com/article/meilleur-heading-overseas | title = MEILLEUR HEADING OVERSEAS | website = www.wheatkings.com | language = en-CA | access-date = 2016-02-27 }}</ref> He won the DEL2 title with the Huskies in the 2015–16 season<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eckasselhuskies.de/alle-nachrichten/spieltag/1141-huskies-gewinnen-del2-meistertitel|title=Huskies gewinnen DEL2-Meistertitel|website=www.eckasselhuskies.de|access-date=2016-04-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423183555/http://www.eckasselhuskies.de/alle-nachrichten/spieltag/1141-huskies-gewinnen-del2-meistertitel|archive-date=April 23, 2016|df=mdy-all}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423183555/http://www.eckasselhuskies.de/alle-nachrichten/spieltag/1141-huskies-gewinnen-del2-meistertitel |date=April 23, 2016 }}</ref> and shortly after signed a two-year deal with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the German top-flight Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icetigers.de/content/ice-tigers-holen-jens-meilleur-vom-del2-meister|title=Ice Tigers holen Jens Meilleur vom DEL2-Meister {{!}} Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg|website=www.icetigers.de|access-date=2016-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426191235/http://www.icetigers.de/content/ice-tigers-holen-jens-meilleur-vom-del2-meister|archive-date=April 26, 2016|url-status=dead}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426191235/http://www.icetigers.de/content/ice-tigers-holen-jens-meilleur-vom-del2-meister |date=April 26, 2016 }}</ref> In November 2016, he was released from his contract at his own request<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icetigers.de/content/jens-meilleur-verlaesst-die-ice-tigers|title=Jens Meilleur verlässt die Ice Tigers {{!}} Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg|website=www.icetigers.de|access-date=2016-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117211647/http://www.icetigers.de/content/jens-meilleur-verlaesst-die-ice-tigers|archive-date=November 17, 2016|url-status=dead}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117211647/http://www.icetigers.de/content/jens-meilleur-verlaesst-die-ice-tigers |date=November 17, 2016 }}</ref> and returned to the Kassel Huskies the next day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eishockey.info/eishockey/WebApp?cmd=displayArtikelSeite&title=Jens-Meilleur-kehrt-nach-Kassel-zurueck&artikel=42637|title=EC Kassel Huskies: Jens Meilleur kehrt nach Kassel zurück - Stürmer spielte bereits zwei Jahre für die Huskies|last=EISHOCKEY.INFO|newspaper=EISHOCKEY INFO|access-date=2016-11-18}}</ref> He announced the end of his professional ice hockey career in September 2019 to return to his home in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.del-2.org/nachrichten/del2/4348-husky_jens_meilleur_beendet_seine_karriere.html|title=HUSKY JENS MEILLEUR BEENDET SEINE KARRIERE|website=www.del-2.org|access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref>
== Personal life == Meilleur grew up in Elie, Manitoba. His sister Meike is a member of the Penn State University Women's Ice Hockey Team,<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-hockey/mtt/meike_meilleur_975503.html | title = Meike Meilleur Bio - Women's Ice Hockey - Penn State University Official Athletic Site | website = www.gopsusports.com | access-date = 2016-02-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160215165453/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-hockey/mtt/meike_meilleur_975503.html | archive-date = February 15, 2016 | url-status = dead }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215165453/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-hockey/mtt/meike_meilleur_975503.html |date=February 15, 2016 }}</ref> his brothers Mats<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.mmjhl.ca/player.php?player_id=231 | title = Mats Meilleur - Mats Meilleur Forward St. Vital Victorias - Mats Meilleur 2015-2016 - M.M.J.H.L. - mmjhl.ca | website = www.mmjhl.ca | access-date = 2016-02-27 }}</ref> and Lars<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.mmjhl.ca/player.php?player_id=514 | title = Lars Meilleur - Lars Meilleur Defenceman St. Vital Victorias - Lars Meilleur 2015-2016 - M.M.J.H.L. - mmjhl.ca | website = www.mmjhl.ca | access-date = 2016-02-27 }}</ref> played ice hockey for the St. Vital Victorias in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League.
Meilleur's grandparents come from Germany. He was granted German citizenship in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brandonsun.com/sports/wheat-kings/meilleur-looking-forward-to-first-pro-season-in-germany-267313771.html|title=Meilleur looking forward to first pro season in Germany|website=www.brandonsun.com|access-date=2016-04-23}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{icehockeystats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meilleur, Jens}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Brandon Wheat Kings players Category:Canadian ice hockey right wingers Category:Kassel Huskies players Category:Ice hockey people from Manitoba Category:People from Interlake Region, Manitoba Category:Nürnberg Ice Tigers players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Germany Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Naturalized citizens of Germany Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen