EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – The Blizzard’s 20-year-old defensemen of the 2024-2025 edition, Zachary Lessard and Raphaël Denis, will continue their careers in the university ranks with the Eastern Division of Ontario University Athletics (OUA).
Lessard has committed to Concordia University Stingers, while Denis will play for the York University Lions.
Montreal-based Concordia University earned the silver medal when they lost 3-2 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Canadian championship final on March 23. Concordia, which finished first overall in Ontario university hockey (East and West sections combined) with a 21-7 record, also won the OUA series championship.
York was less successful, finishing 8th in the Eastern Division with a 7-21 record.
Zachary Lessard, from Châteauguay, Québec, will continue his career 23 kilometers from his family home. He played four seasons with three teams in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League: Sherbrooke, Rimouski and Baie-Comeau. In 179 games, he accumulated 40 points. He is one of the few junior players to have played more than 200 games. This season with the Blizzard, the assistant captain tallied 4 goals and 28 assists in 50 games. His 32 points are the second most in a single season of any defenseman in a Blizzard uniform.
A native of McMasterville, Québec, Raphaël Denis finished first among all defensemen in the league with a total of 53 points. Since his first game with the Blizzard on January 9, he has accumulated 18 points in 18 games. This season, combined with his time in Grand Falls, he has earned at least two points in 16 games. With the Rapids, he had a streak of 14 consecutive games with at least one point. He shares the Blizzard team record for most points in a game with 4. In his career, he totaled 17 goals and 62 assists for 79 points in 91 games.
Blizzard management wishes Zachary and Raphaël every success in their hockey careers and studies.
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Photos
Raphaël Denis (left) and Zachary Lessard (right) were paired up for most of the past playoffs. Photo archives Percy Picard
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Source: Hugues Chiasson, communications co-ordinator – Edmundston Blizzard – 506 740-0623 – (cell.)