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Éric Bélanger
Éric Bélanger
	Bélanger with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012
Born	December 16, 1977 (age 47); Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Los Angeles Kings; HC Bolzano; Carolina Hurricanes; Atlanta Thrashers; Minnesota Wild; Washington Capitals; Phoenix Coyotes; Edmonton Oilers; Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
NHL draft	96th overall, 1996; Los Angeles Kings
Playing career	1997–2013

Éric Bélanger (born December 16, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played the majority of his professional career as a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL), representing the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals, Phoenix Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers. He was originally drafted in the fourth round, 96th overall, in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by Los Angeles.

In 2021, Bélanger was named the first head coach the Trois-Rivières Lions, an expansion team in the ECHL affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens.^[1]

Playing career

As a youth, Bélanger played in the 1991 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Orford, Quebec.^[2]

On March 3, 2010, the NHL trade deadline, Bélanger was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In Game 5 of the Capitals' 2010 playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Bélanger took a high stick to the mouth from Canadiens defenceman Marc-André Bergeron, which resulted in Bélanger losing nine teeth. Moments after the hit, the game telecast showed Bélanger on the bench removing a loose tooth from his mouth, using just his fingers and a piece of gauze.^[3]

Bélanger signed a three-year, $5.25 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, 2011.^[4] In his first season in Edmonton, however, he set offensive career-lows, scoring just four goals and 12 assists, the lowest totals in both categories in his NHL career.^{[citation needed]}

During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, Bélanger suffered a second successive disappointing year going without a goal in 26 games for the Oilers. On July 4, 2013, he was placed on unconditional waivers for a compliance buyout from the final year of his contract with the Oilers.^[5]

On July 15, 2013, Bélanger left the NHL and signed a one-year contract abroad in Russia with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).^[6] He played in just seven games with Avtomobilist in the 2013–14 season, before opting to return to North America and retire from professional hockey on September 25, 2013.^[7]

Personal life

Bélanger and Alexandra Morin have two daughters: Oceanne and Lola Pearl.^[8]

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1994–95	Beauport Harfangs	QMJHL	71	12	28	40	24	18	5	9	14	25
1995–96	Beauport Harfangs	QMJHL	59	35	48	83	18	20	13	14	27	6
1996–97	Beauport Harfangs	QMJHL	31	13	37	50	30	—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Rimouski Océanic	QMJHL	31	26	41	67	36	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL	56	17	34	51	28	4	2	1	3	2
1998–99	Long Beach Ice Dogs	IHL	1	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Springfield Falcons	AHL	33	8	18	26	10	3	0	1	1	2
1999–00	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL	65	15	25	40	20	7	3	3	6	2
2000–01	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL	13	8	10	18	4	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	62	9	12	21	16	13	1	4	5	2
2001–02	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	53	8	16	24	21	7	0	0	0	4
2002–03	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	62	16	19	35	26	—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	81	13	20	33	44	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Bolzano-Bozen Foxes	Serie A	12	13	10	23	20	—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	65	17	20	37	62	—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL	56	8	12	20	14	—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL	24	9	6	15	12	4	1	0	1	12
2007–08	Minnesota Wild	NHL	75	13	24	37	30	6	0	0	0	4
2008–09	Minnesota Wild	NHL	79	13	23	36	26	—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Minnesota Wild	NHL	60	13	22	35	28	—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Washington Capitals	NHL	17	2	4	6	4	7	0	1	1	4
2010–11	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	82	13	27	40	36	4	0	0	0	2
2011–12	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	78	4	12	16	32	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	26	0	3	3	10	—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	KHL	7	0	0	0	4	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			820	138	220	358	361	41	2	5	7	28