David-Alexandre Beauregard (born January 28, 1976) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player who played 14 years in the
minor leagues.
Early years
Beauregard was born in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. From a very young age, Beauregard had been a scorer. When he was seven years old, he scored 230
goals
A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.
Goal may also refer to:
Sport
* Goal (sports), a method of scoring in many sports, or the physical structure or area where scoring occurs
** Goals, the goal frame in ...
in 43 games. As a junior playing in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The ...
Beauregard scored 224 points in 190 games; however, in his draft year he was only 5 feet 10 inches and weighed 165 pounds - too small to be selected early in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) draft. Despite his size, the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
had shown an interest in Beauregard and, on June 28, 1994, the Sharks selected him in the 11th round of the
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was the 32nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.
The last active players in the NHL from this draft class were Patrik Elias and Eric Boulton, who both played their last NHL ...
, 271st overall.
After being drafted, Beauregard returned to the
Saint-Hyacinthe Laser
The Saint-Hyacinthe Laser were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1989 to 1996. They played their home games at Stade L.P. Gaucher in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada.
History
The Saint-Hyacinthe Laser were bor ...
of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to continue his development. Beauregard believed that his NHL dream was on track, but on October 16, 1994, while playing in a game against the
Granby Bisons
The Granby Bisons were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Granby, Quebec, and played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They team was founded in 1981 in after the team moved from Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, where they had previousl ...
, Beauregard lost all sight in his left eye after the high stick of
Xavier Delisle managed to find the gap in the visor he was wearing. Despite this, he still scored on the breakaway.
Because the NHL prohibits anyone who is blind in one eye from signing a contract, Beauregard's NHL dream was over, and he was advised to retire from hockey. Refusing to give up the sport he loved, Beauregard made his return to major junior hockey several months later. He has since said "I was one of the worst players on the ice. I’d lost my depth perception and it took me two months to get some sense of where the
puck was."
Despite his poor self-perception, after returning to the Lasers he appeared in another 22 games during the 1994–95 season, scoring points in 12 of them to help the Lasers into the post-season. In the playoffs, he scored another four points in five games, and that year he was awarded the organisation's Humanitarian of the Year award.
Beauregard continued his junior hockey career in the 1995–96 season with the
Moncton Alpines before switching mid-season to the
Hull Olympiques
The Gatineau Olympiques are a junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey team based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Starting with the 2021–22 season, the Olympiques play home games at Ce ...
. Between the two teams, he would total 73 points in just over 50 games. He made the post season with the Olympiques where he scored 7 goals and 9
assists in 18
playoff games.
He started his last season of junior eligibility with the Olympiques, but again switched mid-season, this time to join the
Shawinigan Cataractes
The Shawinigan Cataractes (french: Cataractes de Shawinigan) are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruin ...
. During this 1996–97 season, he was able to secure a five-game tryout with the
Kentucky Thoroughblades
The Kentucky Thoroughblades were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, who existed from 1996 to 2001. The Thoroughblades were based in Lexington, Kentucky, playing home games at Rupp Arena. The Thoroughblades were an ...
of the American Hockey League (AHL). Given only limited ice time, the 21-year-old made the most of it by scoring three points. However, with no shots on goal, it was not enough to convince the AHL team to give a professional contract to a player with just one eye. At the end of the 1996–97 season, his junior career was over, and the Sharks had by now dropped him from their protected list - but Beauregard continued to pursue a professional career in hockey.
Professional career
For the 1997–98 season, he signed a contract with the
Wichita Thunder
The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team played in the Central Hockey League from 1992 until 2014, and then in the ECHL since the 2014–15 season. From 1992 until December 2009, the Thunder played in ...
of the
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...
. Several times during this season he was called up to the
Kansas City Blades
The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the league folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kemper Arena.
Team history
Russ and Diane Pa ...
of the higher-level
International Hockey League where he played in 15 games, but for most of the season he remained with the Thunder where he scored 42 goals and 29 assist for 71 points and the CHL Rookie of the Year award.
Beauregard's stint with the Blades marked the end of his playing time in the higher minor leagues, but he has never given up on professional hockey. Bouncing around the minor leagues for the next several years, Beauregard skated in the United Hockey League (UHL) with the
Muskegon Fury and
Flint Generals
The Flint Generals were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center. The Generals won two league championship ...
during the 1998–99 season; and in the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The ...
with the
Greensboro Generals
The Greensboro Generals were an East Coast Hockey League team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and played at the Greensboro Coliseum from 1999 to 2004. The name was originally used by the Greensboro Generals in the Eastern Hockey League.
Th ...
and the
Charlotte Checkers
The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affi ...
during the 1999–2000 season. In the 2000–01 season he returned to the UHL, where he played two seasons with the
Port Huron Border Cats
The Port Huron Border Cats were a minor professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League that played from 1996 to 2002. The team was based in Port Huron, Michigan, and played at McMorran Place. The team ceased operations in 2002 and was r ...
, before joining the
Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This team was previously a member of the Central Hockey League, the original Inte ...
for the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons. It was during the 2003–04 season that Beauregard made a brief return to his native
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
where he played 18 games in the short-lived
QSMHL with the
Saint-Jean Mission.
For the 2004–05 season, Beauregard continued his tour of the UHL, icing for the
Port Huron Beacons
The Port Huron Beacons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League (UHL) that played from 2002 to 2005. The team was based in Port Huron, Michigan, and played at the McMorran Arena.
The team's first head coach was ...
until the end of the season (when, after failing to make the playoffs, they would move to become the
Roanoke Valley Vipers
The Roanoke Valley Vipers were a minor professional ice hockey team located in Roanoke, Virginia. They were a member of the United Hockey League and played in the Roanoke Civic Center.
The franchise was formed in 2002 as the Port Huron Beacons an ...
). Beauregard made another brief return to Quebec with the Sorel-Tracy Mission, suiting up just once during the 2004–05 season before following the Beacons' franchise to Roanoake for the 2005–06 season. Beauregard, now a veteran with ten years of professional experience, was the only member of the Vipers to have been selected in the NHL draft.
Beauregard's successful season with the Vipers, with 76 points in 56 games, led to a late season move to the
Danbury Trashers
The Danbury Trashers were a United Hockey League (UHL) professional ice hockey team located in Danbury, Connecticut, first established in 2004 as an expansion team. The team was named for its owner's business in waste management; James Galante ...
organisation where Beauregard starred in the post-season with 23 points in 18 games. In a 2005 interview he remarked "I still play because I still love to play. I get up in the morning and I can’t wait to go to practice. The pay is pretty good, and it’s a fine game. I’ll play as long as I can."
Beauregard left the Trashers in the summer of 2006 following the fraud scandal which enveloped the organisation. He then spent the next two seasons back in the Central Hockey League with his old team, the
Tulsa Oilers
The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tuls ...
. During the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, he was a regular scorer with the Oilers, although not as prolific as his 50 goals seasons in the UHL.
For the 2008–09 season, Beauregard moved into European hockey with the
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix was a semi professional ice hockey team from Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group ''Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey'' to bring top-level ice hockey back to Ma ...
. Beauregard was paired on a line with player-coach
Tony Hand
Anthony Hand MBE (born 15 August 1967) is a Scottish former ice hockey player and coach. He was the first British player to be drafted by an NHL team when he was picked by the Edmonton Oilers in 1986.
Nicknamed ''Two point Tony'', he holds sev ...
. A career season would follow for Beauregard, and he would amass 107 points in 68 gamest. Beauregard was regarded by many Phoenix fans as the greatest player ever to wear the shirt and this was recognised by countless post-season awards, including the
Elite Ice Hockey League
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey ...
(EIHL)'s Player of the Season, as well as being selected to the All-Star First Team.
Beauregard's play would be a major factor into propelling the Phoenix into both domestic cup finals and the post-season. Despite the on-ice success in Manchester, financial problems dogged the Phoenix and in the summer of 2009 the organisation announced that for the 2009–10 season it would ice in the
EPL and operate on a much smaller budget. Consequently, Beauregard, as well as much of the senior squad, was released.
For the 2009–10 season, Beauregard (along with Manchester Phoenix teammate
Kenton Smith
Kenton Smith (born September 10, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
Playing career
Smith began playing at major junior level for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1995–96. He competed for the H ...
) travelled to Italy to join the
HC Valpellice Bulldogs to play
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
hockey, but before the season was done he was once again back in the CHL with the Tulsa Oilers.
For the 2010–11 season, Beauregard returned to the
UK, signing to ice for the
Challenge Cup champions of the EIHL - the
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Their main team sponsor is the Nottingham Building Society.
The Nottingham Panthers have won four ...
.
Beauregard started the 2012–13 season with the Nottingham Panthers, but finished it with the Tulsa Oilers.
Awards
*1994-95: Humanitarian of the Year (
Saint-Hyacinthe Laser
The Saint-Hyacinthe Laser were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1989 to 1996. They played their home games at Stade L.P. Gaucher in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada.
History
The Saint-Hyacinthe Laser were bor ...
)
*1997-98: CHL Rookie of the Year
*2008-09: EIHL's Player of the Season
*2008-09: First Team All-Star (EIHL)
Career statistics
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beauregard, David-Alexandre
1976 births
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Charlotte Checkers (1993–2010) players
Danbury Trashers players
Flint Generals players
Fort Wayne Komets players
Greensboro Generals players
Hull Olympiques players
Kansas City Blades players
Kentucky Thoroughblades players
Living people
Manchester Phoenix players
Moncton Alpines (QMJHL) players
Muskegon Fury players
Nottingham Panthers players
Port Huron Border Cats players
Roanoke Valley Vipers players
Saint-Hyacinthe Laser players
San Jose Sharks draft picks
Shawinigan Cataractes players
Tulsa Oilers (1992–present) players
Wichita Thunder players
Ice hockey people from Montreal
Port Huron Beacons players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in England
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States