Stéphane Yelle

Stéphane A. Yelle
Born	(1974-05-09) May 9, 1974 Clarence-Rockland, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Professional ice hockey centre (retired), development coordinator
Years active	1994–2010
Known for	Playing in the NHL for Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes; two-time Stanley Cup champion

Stéphane A. Yelle (born May 9, 1974) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes.

He secured the Stanley Cup championship twice, achieving this milestone with Colorado in both 1996 and 2001.

Playing career

Yelle began his hockey journey with the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League before being selected 186th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. On June 1, 1994, he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques and launched his professional career during the 1994–95 AHL season playing for their affiliate team, the Cornwall Aces.

The subsequent season saw Yelle’s rights move as the Nordiques franchise relocated to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche. In his rookie NHL season of 1995–96, he participated in 71 games and played a role in Colorado’s Stanley Cup victory. Renowned for his exceptional faceoff proficiency and diligent work ethic, Yelle remained with the Avalanche for seven seasons from 1995 until 2002, adding a second Stanley Cup to his achievements in 2001.

On October 1, 2002, Yelle was traded alongside Chris Drury to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Derek Morris, Dean McAmmond, and Jeff Shantz. He rapidly established himself as a vital member of Calgary’s checking line and contributed to the Flames’ appearance in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals after a seven-year playoff drought. Throughout five seasons with Calgary, Yelle’s adaptability and defensive capabilities were highly regarded; he frequently took on defensive duties during team injuries.

Yelle signed a two-year contract with the Boston Bruins on September 3, 2007. During the 2007–08 campaign, he appeared in 51 games and tallied 12 points for the Bruins, who led the Eastern Conference.

On August 19, 2009, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite a slow start to the 2009–10 season and being placed on waivers on October 26, Yelle went unclaimed and retained his roster position.

On March 3, 2010, Yelle was traded back to the Colorado Avalanche along with Harrison Reed in exchange for Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll and a sixth-round draft pick. Shortly after this trade, he retired from professional play and accepted a role as development coordinator with the Avalanche.

Career statistics

2003–04 NHL season Calgary Flames NHL 53 2005–06 NHL season Calgary Flames NHL74 4 14 18 48 7 1 0 1 8 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2006–07 NHL season Calgary Flames NHL56 10 14 24 32 6 0 0 0 2 |- 2007–08 NHL season Calgary Flames NHL74 3 9 12 20 7 2 0 2 6 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2008–09 NHL season Boston Bruins NHL77 7 11 18 75 11 0 1 1 2 |- 2009–10 NHL seasonCarolina Hurricanes NHL59 4 3 7 62 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2009–10 Colorado Avalanche NHL11 0 1 1 4 6 0 0 0 2 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1990–91	Cumberland Grads	CJHL		33	20	30	50	16		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Oshawa Generals	OHL		55	12	14	26	20		7	2	0	2	2
1992–93	Oshawa Generals	OHL		66	24	50	74	20		10	2	4	6	4
1993–94	Oshawa Generals	OHL		66	35	69	104	22		5	1	7	8	2
1994–95	Cornwall Aces	AHL		40	18	15	33	22		13	7	7	14	8
1995–96	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		71	13	14	27	30		22	1	4	5	8
1996–97	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		79	9	17	26	38		12	1	6	7	2
1997–98	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		81	7	15	22	48		7	1	0	1	12
1998–99	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		72	8	7	15	40		10	0	1	1	6
1999–2000	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		79	8	14	22	28		17	1	2	3	4
2000–01 NHL season    Colorado Avalanche     NHL     50     4     10     14     20     23     1     2     3     8
2001–02 NHL season Colorado Avalanche NHL 73 5 12 17 48 20 0 2 2 14
2002–03 NHL season Calgary Flames NHL 82 10 15 25 50 — — — — —
NHL totals !971 !96 !169 !265 !642 !171 !11 !21 !32 !90 | } Awards and distinctions Honour Year NHL Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche) 1996, 2001 External links NHLPA profile