Éric Bélanger

Lore & Background

Bélanger began his junior career with the Beauport Harfangs of the QMJHL, where he scored 83 points in 59 games during the 1995–96 season. He was traded to the Rimouski Oceanic in his final junior year, totaling 117 points across both clubs. After being drafted by the Kings, he spent three seasons in the AHL before making his NHL debut in 2000, scoring his first goal in a 4–1 win over the Washington Capitals. In the 2001 playoffs, he scored an overtime winner against the Detroit Red Wings in a game later called the 'Frenzy on Figueroa,' helping the Kings eliminate the Red Wings. He played for the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2006–07 season, describing his 56 games there as 'a mess.' He was traded twice in two days in February 2007, moving from Carolina to Nashville and then to Atlanta. Later, while with the Capitals in the 2010 playoffs, he lost nine teeth after a high stick from Marc-André Bergeron and was shown removing a loose tooth with his fingers and gauze.

Reader's Guide

Bélanger's NHL career spanned 13 seasons, during which he was known as a reliable face-off man, leading the Kings with a 57.7% face-off percentage in 2001–02, seventh-best in the league. His most productive season came in 2009–10, when he recorded a career-high 41 points split between Minnesota and Washington. Despite offensive struggles in his later years—setting career lows with the Edmonton Oilers in 2011–12—he played in 82 games for the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010–11. After leaving the NHL, he signed with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL in 2013. In 2021, he became the first head coach of the Trois-Rivières Lions, an ECHL expansion team, and also served as an assistant coach for the UQTR Patriotes. His legacy includes a memorable playoff overtime goal and a reputation for toughness, exemplified by his playing through a dental injury in the postseason.

Did You Know?

• Bélanger scored his first NHL goal in his debut game on October 6, 2000, against the Washington Capitals.
• He lost nine teeth after a high stick from Marc-André Bergeron during the 2010 playoffs and removed a loose tooth with his fingers and gauze.