| Denis Meloche | |
| Position: | Centre |
| Played For: | Philadelphia Blazers Vancouver Blazers |
| Shoots: | Left |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 9 |
| Weight Lb: | 175 |
| Birth Date: | 19 June 1952 |
| Birth Place: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Draft: | 134th overall |
| Draft Team: | California Golden Seals |
| Draft Year: | 1972 |
| Career Start: | 1972 |
| Career End: | 1978 |
Denis Meloche (born June 19, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA).[1] Drafted in the ninth round of the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft by the California Golden Seals, Meloche opted to play in the WHA after being selected by the Miami Screaming Eagles in the WHA General Player Draft.[1] He played parts of two seasons for the Blazers franchise — which had moved from Miami before their inaugural season — in Philadelphia and Vancouver.[2] Aside from a nine-game stint with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League (AHL) he spent his final four professional seasons with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the Central Hockey League, where he was named a CHL Second Team All-Star in 1974–75.[1] [2]
As a youth, Meloche played in the 1963 and 1964 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with teammates Rick Lalonde and Rychard Campeau on minor ice hockey from Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec and Ville-Émard in Montréal, and then also played in the 1965 tournament with Ville-Émard.[3] Meloche's brother, Gilles Meloche, and nephew, Éric Meloche, both played in the National Hockey League.[2] [4] [5]
| Team | League | GP | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | Drummondville Rangers | QMJHL | 60 | 31 | 45 | 76 | 121 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 1971–72 | Drummondville Rangers | QMJHL | 57 | 27 | 42 | 69 | 112 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 1972–73 | Roanoke Valley Rebels | EHL | 58 | 30 | 49 | 79 | 60 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 16 | ||
| 1972–73 | Philadelphia Blazers | WHA | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Roanoke Valley Rebels | SHL | 18 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 17 | ||
| 1973–74 | Vancouver Blazers | WHA | 41 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 76 | 36 | 35 | 71 | 140 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1975–76 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 75 | 21 | 59 | 80 | 83 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1976–77 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 52 | 23 | 39 | 62 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 51 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WHA totals | 45 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||