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Redmen sniper signs AHL contract with Hershey Bears

Published: 4 April 2012

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Photos of Francis Verreault-Paul by Andrew Dobrowolskyj (left) and Brian Smith (right)


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MONTREAL -ÌýFrancis Verreault-Paul of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ men's hockey team has become the second member of the recently-crowned CIS national champions to sign a pact with an American Hockey League club this week. The 24-year-old ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ inked an amateur try-out contract (ATO) with the Hershey Bears, the top affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals.

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±«ÓãÖ±²¥ teammate Maxime Langelier-Parent signed with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals on Monday.

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Verreault-Paul, a feisty, 5-foot-10, 180-pound winger who hails from the Innu community from Mashteuiatsh, Que., is the fourth ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ player to sign with Hershey and the first since Mathieu Darche, currently with the Montreal Canadiens, in 2004-05. Other members of the Redmen to skate for the Bears were Dan Porteous (1949-50) and Johnny Peirson (1946-1948).

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Verreault-Paul led the Ontario University Athletics conference in goals for the third consecutive campaign. He tallied 21 goals and 34 points in 23 regular season games for the Redmen. In 38 contests overall, the speedy sniper had a 28-19-47 record with 180 penalty minutes, 16 power-play goals, four game-winners and a hat-trick. He was named tournament MVP at the CIS championship in Fredericton, N.B., two weeks ago, where he tallied five points, including three goals, in three games as ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ captured their first-ever national title.

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A senior who is expected to graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in psychology, he ranks second among ±«ÓãÖ±²¥'s all-time goal-scoring leaders and owns a lifetime mark of 120-101-221 with 642 PIMs in 156 games overall during his four seasons. Verreault-Paul tallied a school record 21 career game-winning markers to go along with 48 power-play goals, eight hat-tricks and a pair of shorthanded efforts.

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"I'm very pleased for Francis," saidÌýKelly Nobes, head coach of the Redmen. "He is a relentless, hard worker with an extremely high battle level. He possesses great foot speed and proved that he can score goals on a regular basis."

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Verreault-Paul, who earned all-conference honours three times and twice merited all-Canadian honours, won the 2011 Guy Lafleur Trophy as the Quebec university player who best combines hockey performance with academic excellence. He led the CIS in goals during his sophomore and junior seasons and finished second in the nation this year. In 2009-10, he captured the OUA scoring championship, was awarded the Bill L'Heureux Trophy as the OUA's most outstanding player, received the Stuart Forbes Trophy as ±«ÓãÖ±²¥'s male athlete of the year and was a finalist for the national BLG Award, which goes to the CIS athlete of the year (all sports combined).

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Prior to skating with the Redmen, Verreault-Paul played for Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he registered an 89-100-189 record in 301 career games with 507 penalty minutes over five seasons between 2003 and 2008.

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When he suits up with Hershey, he will become the 11th player produced by ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ for the AHL, joining a list that includes Maxime Langelier-Parent (Norfolk in 2012-13), David Urquhart, now playing in Europe after three seasons in the AHL (2008-11),ÌýJean-Michel Daoust (2007-11),ÌýDaniel Jacob (2004-05),ÌýGreg Davis (2001-03),ÌýMathieu Darche (2000-10),ÌýPierre Gendron (1997-98),ÌýJim Webster (1980-81),ÌýDan Porteous (1947-50) andÌýJohnny Peirson (1946-48).

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FRANCIS VERREAULT-PAUL'S CAREER STATISTICS WITH THE McGILL REDMEN

REG. SEASON:







OVERALL:





YEAR

GP

G

A

PTS

PIM


GP

G

A

PTS

PIM

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

2008-09

24

13

13

26

123

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36

16

17

33

155

2009-10

27

25

29

54

103

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47

38

43

81

187

2010-11

19

28

14

42

68

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35

38

22

60

120

2011-12

23

21

13

34

77

Ìý

38

28

19

47

180

TOTALS:

93

87

69

156

371

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156

120

101

221

642













SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Athletics & Recreation

514-398-7012 (Tel.)

m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)

earl.zukerman [at] mcgill.ca?subject=E-mail%20hyperlink%20for%20Earl%20Zukerman"> earl.zukerman [at] mcgill.ca

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