Dean Clement Melanson (born November 19, 1973) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman. He played 9 games in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals between 1995 and 2001. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1993 to 2008, was spent in the minor leagues and in Europe.
Biography Melanson was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. As a youth, he played in the 1985 and 1986 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Antigonish.
Melanson was drafted in the fourth round, 80th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1992 NHL entry draft. Melanson appeared in only nine games in the NHL: five with the Sabres in the 1994–95 season and four with the Washington Capitals in the 2001–02 season. In his brief NHL career, Melanson went scoreless and recorded eight penalty minutes.
The majority of his professional career was spent in the American Hockey League, where he won the Calder Cup in 1996 with the Rochester Americans. He also suited up for teams in the International Hockey League, Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey and the United Hockey League. He also had a spell in Italy for the Milano Vipers. Melanson ended his professional career after playing 11 games with British Elite Ice Hockey League team the Basingstoke Bison in the 2007–08 season.
Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1990–91 Saint-Hyacinthe Laser QMJHL 69 10 17 27 110 4 0 1 1 2 1991–92 Saint-Hyacinthe Laser QMJHL 42 8 19 27 158 6 1 2 3 25 19920–93 Saint-Hyacinthe Laser QMJHL 57 13 29 42 253 — — — — — 1992–93 Rochester Americans AHL 8 0 1 1 6 14 1 6 7 18 1993–94 Rochester Americans AHL 80 1 21 22 138 4 0 1 1 2 1994–95 Buffalo Sabres NHL 5 0 0 0 4 — — — — — 1994–95 Rochester Americans AHL 43 4 7 11 84 — — — — — 1995–96 Rochester Americans AHL 70 3 13 16 204 14 3 3 6 22 1996–97 Quebec Rafales IHL 72 3 21 24 95 7 0 2 2 12 1997–98 Rochester Americans AHL 73 7 9 16 228 4 0 2 2 0 1998–99 Rochester Americans AHL 79 7 27 34 192 17 3 2 5 32 1999–00 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 58 11 25 36 178 4 2 3 5 10 2000–01 Chicago Wolves IHL 42 1 7 8 80 — — — — — 2000–01 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 15 1 4 5 48 — — — — — 2000–01 Portland Pirates AHL 13 1 4 5 14 2 0 0 0 10 2001–02 Washington Capitals NHL 4 0 0 0 4 — — — — — 2001–02 Portland Pirates AHL 70 2 14 16 140 — — — — — 2002–03 Portland Pirates AHL 23 1 4 5 40 — — — — — 2002–03 Binghamton Senators AHL 35 4 3 7 93 13 0 1 1 48 2003–04 Iserlohn Roosters DEL 27 4 6 10 150 — — — — — 2003–04 Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin QSMHL 3 0 5 5 7 — — — — — 2004–05 Kassel Huskies DEL 49 3 6 9 143 — — — — — 2005–06 Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal LNAH 30 2 13 15 42 — — — — — 2005–06 Muskegon Fury UHL 6 0 0 0 9 12 1 4 5 18 2006–07 Muskegon Fury UHL 6 1 1 2 12 — — — — — 2006–07 Milano Vipers Italy 2 0 0 0 6 8 0 0 0 57 2007–08 Basingstoke Bison EIHL 11 0 2 2 32 — — — — — AHL totals 567 42 132 174 1365 72 9 18 27 142 NHL totals 9 0 0 0 8 — — — — —
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