{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player}} {{use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = Lessard Junior Ilves 2009 1.jpg | image_size = 230px | team = Thetford Mines Isothermic | former_teams = Dallas Stars<br />Tampa Bay Lightning<br />Ilves<br />Augsburger Panther | league = LNAH | position = Right wing/Centre | shoots = Right | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 191 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|5|26|mf=y}} | birth_place = Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec, Canada | draft = Undrafted | draft_year = | draft_team = | career_start = 2004 | career_end = 2011 }}
'''Lucien Lessard Jr.'''<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.fanatique.ca/autres/liste-des-joueurs-quebecois-et-des-joueurs-francophones-+7398.html |title=LNH : Liste des joueurs québécois et des joueurs francophones - Saison 2010-2011 |language=fr}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dailypress2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15505 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708221258/http://www.dailypress2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15505 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |title=Feature On Junior Lessard }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cldrc.qc.ca/site.asp?page=evenement&nActualite=1&nAnnee=2008&nIDEvenement=1458 |title=Lucien Junior Lessard, hockeyeur évoluant dans la ligue nationale a reçu le Sommet Ambassadeur de la Ville Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce. |language=fr |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706200357/http://www.cldrc.qc.ca/site.asp?page=evenement&nActualite=1&nAnnee=2008&nIDEvenement=1458 |archivedate=July 6, 2011}}.</ref> (born May 26, 1980), known as '''Junior Lessard''', is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who last played for the Thetford Mines Isothermic of the LNAH.
==Playing career== As a youth, Lessard played in the 1993 and 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Beauce, Quebec.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=February 9, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Lessard attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he led the NCAA in goals (32) and points (63) as a senior during the 2003–04 season, numbers that would be good enough to win the Hobey Baker Award. He also led the WCHA in the same categories with 19 goals and 39 points in conference play.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-cloud-times-around-the-wcha/149793230/ |title=Around the WCHA |newspaper=St. Cloud Times |page=25 |date=2004-03-09 |access-date=2024-06-21 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
On April 15, 2004, Lessard signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Stars and made his NHL debut during the 2005–06 season.
Lessard was traded to Tampa Bay on January 15, 2008, in exchange for Dan Jancevski.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/victoria-advocate-nhl/149793341/ |title=NHL |newspaper=The Victoria Advocate |place=Dallas |page=19 |date=2008-01-16 |access-date=2024-06-21 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Lessard signed a contract with the Atlanta Thrashers on July 9, 2008, and was assigned to affiliate the Chicago Wolves to start the 2008–09 season.
On January 13, 2009, Lessard was traded by the Thrashers to the New York Islanders for Brett Skinner and was immediately sent to the Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=263062&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_nhl|title=Islanders acquire Lessard from Thrashers for Skinner | publisher =TSN.ca | date = 2009-01-13 | accessdate = 2009-01-14}}</ref>
On October 7, 2009, Lessard signed a one-year contract with SM-liiga team Ilves, but was released on November 4 due to injury after only four games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilves.com/uutinen071009.php |title=Ilves sign Canadian Junior Lessard |publisher=Ilves |date=2009-10-07 |accessdate=2010-05-23 |language=Finnish |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717071215/http://www.ilves.com/uutinen071009.php |archivedate=2011-07-17 }}</ref>
On January 13, 2010, Lessard signed with Canadian semi-pro team the Thetford Mines Isothermic of the LNAH.
On February 1, 2010, after recovering from injury, Lessard signed with German team Augsburger Panther of the DEL for the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aev-panther.de/aev/Augsburger+Panther/Homepage.html?naid=357 |title=Augsburger Panther with last minute commitment |publisher=Augsburger Panther |date=2010-02-01 |accessdate=2010-05-23 |language=German |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206193220/http://www.aev-panther.de/aev/Augsburger%2BPanther/Homepage.html?naid=357 |archivedate=February 6, 2010 }}</ref>
==Awards and honors== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! |- | WCHA All-Tournament Team | 2003 | <ref name= tournament>{{cite news|title=WCHA Tourney History|url=http://wcha.com/men/tourney/history.php|publisher=WCHA|accessdate=2014-06-26}}</ref> |- | All-WCHA First Team | 2003–04 | |- | AHCA West First-Team All-American | 2003–04 | |- | All-NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2004 | <ref name = ncaa>{{cite news|title=NCAA Frozen Four Records|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/frozen_4/2009/f4recs.pdf|publisher=NCAA.org|accessdate=2013-06-19}}</ref> |- |}
*1998–99 -MJHL All-Rookie Team *1999–00 -MJHL First All-Star Team *1999–00 -MJHL Most Valuable Player *Named Canadian Junior A Hockey League Player of the Year with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League *2003–04 -WCHA Player of the Year *2003–04 -NCAA Hobey Baker Award<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/9NCAA/2004/hobey_0232.htm |title=Inside College Hockey {{!}} Lessard Wins Hobey Baker Award |website=www.insidecollegehockey.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040502130710/http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/9NCAA/2004/hobey_0232.htm |archive-date=2004-05-02}}</ref> *National Player of the Year honors in 2004 by College Hockey Online<ref>[http://uscho.com US College Hockey Online]</ref> and Inside College Hockey<ref>[http://insidecollegehockey.com Inside College Hockey]</ref>
==Career statistics== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1998–99 | Portage Terriers | MJHL | 60 | 20 | 41 | 61 | 129 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1999–2000 | Portage Terriers | MJHL | 60 | 60 | 48 | 108 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2000–01 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 36 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2001–02 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 39 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2002–03 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 40 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003–04 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 45 | 32 | 31 | 63 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2004–05 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 71 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005–06 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2005–06 | Iowa Stars | AHL | 66 | 26 | 32 | 58 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006–07 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2006–07 | Iowa Stars | AHL | 65 | 27 | 25 | 52 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2007–08 | Iowa Stars | AHL | 36 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2007–08 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 19 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008–09 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 41 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2008–09 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 21 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Ilves | SM-l | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2009–10 | Thetford Mines Isothermic | LNAH | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Augsburger Panther | DEL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2010–11 | Thetford Mines Isothermic | LNAH | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2010–11 | Idaho Steelheads | ECHL | 22 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2011–12 | Thetford Mines Isothermic | LNAH | 25 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012–13 | Thetford Mines Isothermic | LNAH | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2015–16 | St-Joseph Justiciers | LHBBF | 8 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2016–17 | St-Joseph Justiciers | LHBBF | 11 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | AHL totals ! 319 ! 93 ! 99 ! 192 ! 118 ! 25 ! 8 ! 10 ! 18 ! 8 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 27 ! 3 ! 1 ! 4 ! 23 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Ice hockey stats}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = Peter Sejna | title=WCHA Player of the Year | years = 2003–04| after=Marty Sertich}} {{succession box | before = Peter Sejna | title = NCAA Ice Hockey Scoring Champion | years = 2003–04 | after = Marty Sertich}} {{succession box | before = Peter Sejna | title = Winner of the Hobey Baker Award | years = 2003–04 | after = Marty Sertich}} {{s-end}}
{{Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lessard, Junior}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Augsburger Panther players Category:Canadian ice hockey forwards Category:Chicago Wolves players Category:Dallas Stars players Category:Hobey Baker Award winners Category:Houston Aeros (1994–2013) players Category:Ice hockey people from Chaudière-Appalaches Category:Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) players Category:Ilves players Category:Iowa Stars players Category:Portage Terriers players Category:Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Norfolk Admirals players Category:People from Beauce, Quebec Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Finland