Jens Meilleur Explained

Jens Meilleur
Birth Date:11 January 1993
Birth Place:Marquette, Manitoba, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:196
Position:Right Wing
Shoots:Right
League:DEL2
Played For:Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers
Kassel Huskies
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2014
Career End:2019

Jens Meilleur (born January 11, 1993) is a retired Canadian-German professional ice hockey player.

Playing career

Meilleur was a member of the Winnipeg Hawks Bantam 1 squad in the Winnipeg AAA league in 2007–08, and then played for the Central Plains Capitals in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League the following season. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League and by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines (seventh overall).[1]

In December 2009 and January 2010, he represented Team Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins, Ontario.[2] From 2010 to 2014, Meilleur played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, serving as assistant captain the last two years.

Prior to the 2014-15 campaign, he signed to play with the Kassel Huskies of the German second tier-league DEL2.[3] He won the DEL2 title with the Huskies in the 2015–16 season[4] and shortly after signed a two-year deal with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the German top-flight Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).[5] In November 2016, he was released from his contract at his own request[6] and returned to the Kassel Huskies the next day.[7] He announced the end of his professional ice hockey career in September 2019 to return to his home in Canada.[8]

Personal life

Meilleur grew up in Elie, Manitoba. His sister Meike is a member of the Penn State University Women's Ice Hockey Team,[9] his brothers Mats[10] and Lars[11] played ice hockey for the St. Vital Victorias in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League.

Meilleur's grandparents come from Germany. He was granted German citizenship in 2013.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jens Meilleur making noise. nurun.com. Portage Daily Graphic. 2016-02-27.
  2. Web site: Meilleur back from U17s. nurun.com. Portage Daily Graphic. 2016-02-27.
  3. Web site: MEILLEUR HEADING OVERSEAS. www.wheatkings.com. en-CA. 2016-02-27.
  4. Web site: Huskies gewinnen DEL2-Meistertitel. www.eckasselhuskies.de. 2016-04-23. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160423183555/http://www.eckasselhuskies.de/alle-nachrichten/spieltag/1141-huskies-gewinnen-del2-meistertitel. April 23, 2016. mdy-all.
  5. Web site: Ice Tigers holen Jens Meilleur vom DEL2-Meister Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg. www.icetigers.de. 2016-04-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160426191235/http://www.icetigers.de/content/ice-tigers-holen-jens-meilleur-vom-del2-meister. April 26, 2016. dead.
  6. Web site: Jens Meilleur verlässt die Ice Tigers Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg. www.icetigers.de. 2016-11-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20161117211647/http://www.icetigers.de/content/jens-meilleur-verlaesst-die-ice-tigers. November 17, 2016. dead.
  7. News: EC Kassel Huskies: Jens Meilleur kehrt nach Kassel zurück - Stürmer spielte bereits zwei Jahre für die Huskies. EISHOCKEY.INFO. EISHOCKEY INFO. 2016-11-18.
  8. Web site: HUSKY JENS MEILLEUR BEENDET SEINE KARRIERE. www.del-2.org. 2019-09-10.
  9. Web site: Meike Meilleur Bio - Women's Ice Hockey - Penn State University Official Athletic Site. www.gopsusports.com. 2016-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20160215165453/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-hockey/mtt/meike_meilleur_975503.html. February 15, 2016. dead.
  10. Web site: Mats Meilleur - Mats Meilleur Forward St. Vital Victorias - Mats Meilleur 2015-2016 - M.M.J.H.L. - mmjhl.ca. www.mmjhl.ca. 2016-02-27.
  11. Web site: Lars Meilleur - Lars Meilleur Defenceman St. Vital Victorias - Lars Meilleur 2015-2016 - M.M.J.H.L. - mmjhl.ca. www.mmjhl.ca. 2016-02-27.
  12. Web site: Meilleur looking forward to first pro season in Germany. www.brandonsun.com. 2016-04-23.