Nicolas Meloche
Nicolas Meloche | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
LaSalle, Quebec, Canada | July 18, 1997||
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
Position | Defence | ||
Shoots | Right | ||
NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Colorado Avalanche Colorado Eagles (AHL) | ||
NHL Draft |
40th overall, 2015 Colorado Avalanche | ||
Playing career | 2017–present |
Nicolas Meloche (born July 18, 1997) is a Canadian junior ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Meloche was selected 40th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Meloche was drafted by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the 1st round (15th overall) of the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft. During his first season with Baie-Comeau, Meloche scored 25 points in 54 games to set a franchise record for most points by a rookie defenceman, and his outstanding play was recognized when he was named to the 2013–14 QMJHL All-Rookie Team.[1]
The following season he was chosen to play with the Canada men's national under-18 ice hockey team at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament[2] where he helped Canada win the gold medal. Meloche was also named to the play with the QMJHL All-Stars at the 2014 Subway Super Series,[3] and was selected to participate in the 2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[4]
Originally rated as a top prospect who was projected to be a possible first round selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[5] Meloche was subsequently selected 40th overall by the Colorado Avalanche.[6] After attending the Avalanche's 2015 training camp, Meloche began the 2015–16 season in his third year with a rebuilding Drakkar. Despite languishing in the standings, Meloche was leading the defense in scoring with 16 points in 25 games before he was traded by Baie-Comeau to title contenders, Gatineau Olympiques, in exchange for a prospect and two draft picks on December 16, 2015.[7] In being depended upon in a more defensive orientated role with the Olympiques, Meloche contributed with 5 goals and 17 points to end the regular season. He added three points in 9 post-season games before the Olympiques were eliminated in the second-round.
In his final junior season in 2016–17, Meloche was unable to prevent Gatineau from a slow start in the standings. Despite leading the blueline in scoring with 21 points in 26 games, Meloche was again traded to a title contender, in a seven player deal with the Charlottetown Islanders on December 21, 2016.[8] On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Meloche signed his first NHL contract, agreeing to a three-year entry-level deal with the Colorado Avalanche.[9]
Having completed his junior career, Meloche attended the 2017 Colorado Avalanche training camp and played in the opening pre-season game before he was reassigned to AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, on September 20, 2017.[10]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2013–14 | Baie-Comeau Drakkar | QMJHL | 54 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 47 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
2014–15 | Baie-Comeau Drakkar | QMJHL | 44 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 99 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 22 | ||
2015–16 | Baie-Comeau Drakkar | QMJHL | 25 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2015–16 | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | 28 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
2016–17 | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | 26 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2016–17 | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | 35 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 35 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 30 | ||
2017–18 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 58 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2017–18 | Colorado Eagles | ECHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 41 | ||
AHL totals | 58 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — |
International
Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Canada Quebec | U17 | 4th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
2014 | Canada | IH18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
Junior totals | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Awards and honours
Award | Year | |
---|---|---|
CHL | ||
QMJHL All-Rookie Team | 2013–14 | [11] |
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Gold Medal | 2014 | [12] |
Subway Super Series QMJHL All-Stars | 2014 | [13] |
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game | 2015 | [14] |
ECHL | ||
Kelly Cup (Colorado Eagles) | 2018 | [15] |
References
- ↑ "Meloche draft prospect detail". National Hockey League. 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ↑ "Canadian U18 team selected for Ivan Hlinka". The Sports Network. 2014-09-01. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ↑ "QMJHL announces 2014 Subway Super Series roster". subwaysuperseries.ca. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 CHL top prospects game". hockeyprospect.com. 2015-01-02. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ↑ "Nicolas Meloche 2015 draft prospect profiles". thehockeywriters.com. 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ↑ "Avalanche selects seven at draft". Colorado Avalanche. 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
- ↑ "Olympiques acquire defenceman Meloche". theqnews.com. 2015-12-15. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
- ↑ "Meloche was resigned to leaving Gatineau". lapresse.ca. 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
- ↑ "Avalanche sign two prospects to entry-level deals". bsndenver.com. 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
- ↑ "Avalanche re-assigns three players". Colorado Avalanche. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ↑ "The Golden Puck Awards, an unforgettable evening". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ↑ "Canada wins Gold at 2014 Ivan Hlinka". Canadian Hockey League. 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ↑ "Stage set for Game 5 of Super Series". Subway Super Series. May 6, 2014. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
- ↑ "2015 CHL/NHL top prospects game rosters announced". Niagara IceDogs. 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
- ↑ "Back-to-back Kelly Cup Champions". Colorado Eagles. 2018-06-10. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database