Andy Bezeau

Last updated
Andy Bezeau
Born (1970-03-30) March 30, 1970 (age 53)
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Moncton Hawks
Phoenix Roadrunners
Fort Wayne Komets
Michigan K-Wings
Detroit Vipers
Providence Bruins
NHL Draft 231st overall, 1990
Boston Bruins
Playing career 19912001

Andy Bezeau (born March 30, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 10 seasons in the minor leagues.

Contents

Playing career

After being drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 11th round of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Bezeau reported to the Bruins ECHL affiliate in Johnstown. Despite scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 28 games, Bezeau was traded to the Richmond Renegades for future considerations.

Bezeau moved to the Colonial Hockey League for the 1992–93 and 1993–94 and had back to back 18 goal, 240 PIM seasons. He returned to the ECHL for the end of the 1993–94 season as a member of the South Carolina Stingrays. Bezeau only played 36 games with the Stingrays but recorded 20 points. Bezeau also totals 352 penalty minutes, which was the second highest total in the league. Trevor Buchanan, a former Hartford Whalers draft pick, recorded 422 penalty minutes - 70 more than Bezeau - but also played in 29 more games than Bezeau. [1]

After splitting the 1994–95 season with the Brantford Smoke and the Muskegon Fury, Bezeau spent his next four seasons in the IHL. Bezeau recorded a record 590 penalty minutes during the 1995-96 IHL season, 176 more than Las Vegas Thunder forward Sasha Lakovic.

Bezeau was involved with one of the IHL's strangest trades at the start of the 1996–97 season. Bezeau was upset with the Komets and demanded a trade, even going as far as attending training camp with the Michigan K-Wings while still officially being a member of the Komets' roster. Bezeau would officially be traded to the K-Wings for "future considerations", which ended up being two equipment dryers that used to be part of the Phoenix Roadrunners organization. Bezeau played one game with the K-Wings before the trade was officially voided by the league. Bezeau would later be traded to the Detroit Vipers. [2]

Bezeau started the 1999–2000 season as a training camp invite to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he was released and assigned to the Detroit Vipers. [3] Bezeau was released from the Vipers in January 2000 and signed with the London Knights of the Ice Hockey Superleague.

Bezeau played one game with the Providence Bruins and retired in 2001. He retired from the IHL with the 19th highest PIM total in league history despite only playing six seasons in the league. In his ten league career, Bezeau accumulated 3477 penalty minutes, which is 18th highest in minor league history.

Personal

Since his retirement in 2001, Bezeau has been involved in several hockey training schools. He is a certified power skating instructor with Skate Canada.

Bezeau has also formed his own company, AllPro/ExpressHockey Inc., which also offers clinics on advanced skating techniques. [4]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1989–90 Niagara Falls Thunder OHL 6020193920616691573
1990–91 Niagara Falls ThunderOHL2412122495144111554
1991–92 Johnstown Chiefs ECHL 28111021142
1991–92 Richmond Renegades ECHL1211271
1992–93 Brantford Smoke CoHL 3818133127814246132
1992–93 Moncton Hawks AHL 20004
1993–94 Brantford SmokeCoHL22181634240
1993–94 St. Thomas Wildcats CoHL120212
1993–94 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL36101020352200023
1994–95 Brantford SmokeCoHL1781018185
1994–95 Phoenix Roadrunners IHL 600023
1994–95 Muskegon Fury CoHL4614173135717971688
1994–95 Fort Wayne Komets IHL301126
1995–96 Fort Wayne KometsIHL74101121590502228
1996–97 Fort Wayne KometsIHL45459320
1997–98 Muskegon FuryUHL177916100
1997–98 Michigan K-Wings IHL10114
1997–98 Detroit Vipers IHL54910193091921395
1998–99 Detroit VipersIHL44279308821331
1999–00 Detroit VipersIHL19213148
1999–00 London Knights BISL 1115644822429
2000–01 Providence Bruins AHL10008
IHL totals246273663172832448154

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References

  1. "1993-94 ECHL League Leaders". Hockeydb.com. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  2. Sebring, Blake (2007). Tales Of The Komets. Bloomington, Indiana: Rooftop Publishing. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-60008-038-8.
  3. "NHL transactions - September 1999". USA Today. 1999-09-30. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  4. "Express Hockey Inc. Homepage". expresshockey. 2009-01-03. Archived from the original on 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2009-01-03.