Antoine Roussel
Antoine Roussel | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 21, 1989 Roubaix, France |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player (retired) |
| Known for | Playing as a left winger in the NHL for Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes |
Antoine Roussel (born 21 November 1989) is a retired French professional ice hockey left winger, whose last team was the Arizona Coyotes in the National Hockey League (NHL). Originating from France, Roussel began playing hockey there before moving to Quebec at age 16. He spent four seasons competing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) before turning pro, participating in North American minor leagues such as the American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL. In 2012, he signed with the Dallas Stars and made his NHL debut in 2013. Recognized for his aggressive playing style, Roussel has frequently been among the NHL’s top players in penalty minutes, recording over 10 goals and exceeding 100 penalty minutes in six separate seasons. On the international stage, he has represented the France men's national ice hockey team at both junior and senior levels, competing in several Ice Hockey World Championships.
Early life
Born in Roubaix, France, Roussel initially played rugby before switching to hockey after his mother registered him to avoid the summer heat. As a youth player, he participated in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament representing a team from Nantes. At 16 years old, he relocated with his family to Quebec, Canada, where he also obtained Canadian citizenship.
Junior
Upon arriving in Canada in 2006, Roussel played midget-level hockey for the Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains based in Longueuil. He subsequently joined the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL, where he competed for four seasons.
Professional
Although undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft, Roussel secured an AHL contract on 9 August 2010 with the Providence Bruins for the 2010–11 campaign. After limited ice time, he was sent down to play five games with the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
Not retained by Providence, Roussel attended the prospect camp for the Vancouver Canucks, leading to a contract with their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, where he spent the 2011–12 season.
Dallas Stars
Roussel inked a deal with the Dallas Stars on 2 July 2012. During the 2012–13 season, he divided his time between Dallas and their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. The following season, 2013–14, he played a full slate of 81 games with Dallas. On 22 July 2014, Roussel agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $8 million with the Stars.
In the 2016–17 season, Roussel recorded his first NHL hat trick on 18 February 2017 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming only the second French-born player in NHL history to achieve this feat after Paul MacLean. His season was cut short by a hand injury sustained in early March.
Vancouver Canucks
Following six seasons with Dallas, Roussel signed a four-year contract valued at $12 million with the Vancouver Canucks on 1 July 2018. He achieved a personal best of 31 points during the 2018–19 NHL season before suffering a season-ending knee injury on 13 March 2019 against the New York Rangers. The injury was diagnosed as a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), necessitating surgery and causing him to miss the start of the subsequent 2019–20 NHL season. Roussel made his return on 3 December, scoring twice in a 5–2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, including a goal on his very first shift after coming back from injury.
Arizona Coyotes
On July 23, 2021, Roussel was involved in a trade to the Arizona Coyotes along with Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, a first-round draft choice in 2021, a second-round pick in 2022, and a seventh-round selection in 2023. In return, the Canucks received Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland.
International play
Roussel competed for the French national team during the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017 editions of the IIHF World Championships. After his performance in the 2014 event, he earned recognition as a Media All-Star by accumulating 11 points across eight games.
Regular season and playoffs
2014–15 NHL season || Dallas Stars || NHL ||80 ||13 ||12 ||25 ||148 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2015–16 NHL season || Dallas Stars || NHL ||80 ||13 ||16 ||29 ||123 ||13 ||2 ||0 ||2 ||16 |- 2016–17 NHL season || Dallas Stars || NHL ||60 ||12 ||15 ||27 ||115 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2017–18 NHL season || Dallas Stars || NHL ||73 ||5 ||12 ||17 ||126 |- 2018–19 NHL season || Vancouver Canucks || NHL ||65 ||9 ||22 ||31 ||118 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2019–20 NHL season || Vancouver Canucks || NHL ||41 ||7 ||6 ||13 ||43 ||17 ||2 ||2 ||4 ||46 |- 2019–20 AHL season || Utica Comets || AHL ||2 ||0 ||1 ||1 ||4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2020–21 NHL season || Vancouver Canucks || NHL ||35 ||1 ||3 ||4 ||37 |- 2021–22 NHL season || Arizona Coyotes || NHL ||53 ||4 ||4 ||8 ||59 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2004–05 | Rouen | FRA U18 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Collège Charles-Lemoy Riverains | QMAAA | 12 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 56 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 70 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 121 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 29 | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 58 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 110 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | ||
| 2009–10 | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 68 | 24 | 23 | 47 | 131 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11 AHL season | Providence Bruins | AHL | 42 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 88 | |||||||
| 2010–11 ECHL season | Reading Royals | ECHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 2011–12 AHL season | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 61 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 177 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 AHL season | Texas Stars | AHL | 43 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 107 | |||||||
| 2012–13 NHL season | Dallas Stars | National Hockey League | 39 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 85 | |||||||
| 2013–14 NHL season | Dallas Stars | NHL | 81 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 209 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 27 | ||
| NHL totals !607 !85 !112 !197 !1,063 !36 !4 !5 !9 !89 | ||||||||||||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Placement | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Penalty Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | France | U18 Division I | 18th place | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 2009 | France | WJC Division I | 15th position | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2012 | France | World Championship | 9th place | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2013 | France | World Championship | 13th place | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | |
| 2014 | France | World Championship | 8th position | 8 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 16 | |
| 2015 | France | World Championship | 12th place | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 34 | |
| 2017 | France | World Championship | 9th position | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 18 | |
| Junior career totals | 10 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 10 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 36 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 84 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Distinction | Year |
|---|---|
| 2014 IIHF World Championship |