The Connecticut Whale are having trouble scoring goals. That’s a secret to nobody. With the disclosure that came after the afternoon contest between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers that right wing Marian Gaborik has sustained a concussion meaning that a scoring forward is going to be called up, and based upon the way they’re playing currently that’s either Dale Weise, Brodie Dupont or even Kris Newbury, if John Tortorella wants to go a different route, the need for a scoring forward becomes that much more necessary.
So the end result is that Jim Schoenfeld has gone out and signed the ECHL’s best scoring forward Francis Lemieux to a Professional Try-Out (PTO) contract.
See Lemiuex’s stats from HockeyDB.com below the official release.
WHALE SIGN FORWARD FRANCIS LEMIEUX TO PTO
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Veteran is ECHL’s Leading Scorer
HARTFORD, CT. – Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed veteran forward Francis Lemieux to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.
Lemieux, a sixth-year pro, was leading the ECHL in point-scoring with the Florida Everblades, having struck for 28 goals and 44 assists for 72 points in 55 games. He was also second among ECHL players in assists and third in goals, and led the Everblades club in goals, assists and points. Lemieux has also played two AHL games this season with the Manitoba Moose, and was scoreless with no penalty minutes.
Last season Lemieux, a 5-10, 195-pound native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, played 21 AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring two goals and adding eight assists for 10 points with 20 penalty minutes. The 26-year-old Lemieux also played 13 games with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL, action in which he had nine goals and three assists for 12 points, along with 43 PIM, and spent four games in Austria with Vienna, scoring one goal and serving six minutes in penalties.
Lemieux has played 251 AHL games in his career, with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Griffins and Moose, notching 45 goals and adding 68 assists for 113 points, with 233 penalty minutes. He won a Calder Cup with the Bulldogs in 2007. In 68 career ECHL contests, Lemieux has 37 goals and 47 assists for 84 points, as well as 130 PIM. Lemieux was originally signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens December 8, 2005, after a four-year Junior career with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Major Junior League.
