FRANCIS MEILLEUR EARNS 2ND STAR FOR MONTH OF NOVEMBER

#26 Francis Meilleur celebrates with teammates

Montreal Junior defenseman, Francis Meilleur earned himself 2nd star status for the QMJHL's player of the month honors for the month of November. Here is the quote for the league's website:

"The second star goes to Montreal Juniors defenseman Francis Meilleur. He was an offensive force in November, registering two goals and eight assists in eleven games. Moreover, he posted a steady +/- rating and collected at least one point in nine games. The Montreal Juniors won ten of their eleven games in November. The team is actually ranked second overall in the Q."

This award come as know surprise to me. Meilleur has been solid for th Juniors since day one this year. Although he is not drafted by an NHL team nor has he ever been invited to an NHL training camp, Meilleur's play this season has been very impressive and could very well give him that type of opportunity next summer should the right scout notice his talent.

Meilleur plays at his best when the Juniors have control of the puck. He's a smooth skater and puck handler. In his own zone, Meilleur is often seen making a crisp outlet pass which is paramount if a team wants to have a strong transition game. At the other end of the ice Meilleur's strength is quarterbacking the power play unit. His vision is excellent when it comes to passing the puck and he also uses his shot to score goals or create scoring chances.

For the greater part of this year Meilleur has been paired up with fellow defenseman Charles-Olivier Roussel. Meilleur has 5 goals and 23 points in 31 games played so far this season. He has also recorded 21 penalty minutes and carries a plus-minus rating of +14.

Photo Credit: Ron Lemish

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