The following press release comes from the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and concerns a trade made today with the Arizona Coyotes. The teams exchanged minor league right wingers.
Canadiens acquire forward Lucas Lessio from Arizona, in return for Christian Thomas
MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Tuesday the acquisition of forward Lucas Lessio from the Arizona Coyotes, in return for forward Christian Thomas.
Lessio, 22, recorded 12 points (7 goals and 5 assists) in 24 regular season games thus far this season with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. He served 12 penalty minutes. The 6’1’’ and 212 lb left winger posted five points (3 goals, 2 assists) and 10 penalty minutes in 29 career regular season games in the NHL.
A native of Maple, Ontario, Lessio was the Coyotes second round selection, 56th overall, at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
The 23-year old Christian Thomas registered two assists in five games with the Canadiens thus far this season. He added 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 18 games with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps. The Toronto native was acquired by the Canadiens from the New York in return for Danny Kristo on July 2, 2013.
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In other Canadiens news, goaltender Carey Price was honoured as the 2015 Lou Marsh Award winner.
Price earns the Lou Marsh Award
MONTREAL – If 2015 was the year of Carey Price in the NHL, the same can now be said of his year across all Canadian sports.
After dominating last season’s NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Price was announced on Tuesday as the recipient of the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy, given annually to the top Canadian athlete, for 2015.
Last June, Price became only the second goaltender in the history of the National Hockey League to win the Hart Trophy (MVP), the Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender) and the Ted Lindsay Award (Best Player as voted on by the NHLPA) during the same season. On top of sharing the William Jennings Trophy for the least goals allowed in a season, the Canadiens’ goaltender broke a franchise record by registering 44 wins in 2014-15, surpassing the previous mark of 42 wins set by Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden.
This is the 13th time since the inauguration of the Lou Marsh Award in 1936 that the recipient is a hockey player. Price is the first goaltender to ever win the award.
The last hockey player to be named the top athlete in Canada was Sidney Crosby in 2009, while the last time a member of the Montreal Canadiens won the award was 1977, when it was given to Guy Lafleur.
Main Photo via Getty Images/NHL Collection
