Antoine Roussel

Antoine Roussel (born 21 November 1989) is a French/Canadian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in France, Roussel first played hockey there before moving to Quebec at the age of 16. After four years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) he turned professional and played in the American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL, minor leagues in North America. Signed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2012, he made his NHL debut in 2013 for the club. Regarded as a physical player, Roussel has consistently been one of the NHL's leaders in penalty minutes throughout his career. Internationally Roussel has represented the French national team both at the junior and senior level, including multiple World Championships.

Roussel was born in Roubaix, France. He first played rugby as a child, but was released from his team after repeatedly running off the field during the heated summer practices. As a result his mother enrolled him in hockey, deciding the cooler rink would benefit Roussel. At the age of 16 Roussel and his family moved to Canada, settling in Quebec. He holds Canadian citizenship.

Junior

After arriving in Canada in 2006, Roussel played midget hockey for the Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains in Longueuil. Later that season, Roussel joined the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he played for four years.

Professional

Undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft, Roussel signed an American Hockey League (AHL) contract with the Providence Bruins on 9 August 2010, where he played the 2010–11 season. After being a healthy scratch for several Providence games, he was temporarily re-assigned to the Reading Royals of the ECHL, where he played in five games.

Roussel was not offered another contract by the Bruins, but was later invited to attend the Vancouver Canucks' prospect camp. His performance there led to him signing a contract with the Chicago Wolves, which at the time were the Canucks' minor league affiliate in the AHL. He played for the Wolves for the 2011–12 season.

On 2 July 2012, Roussel signed a contract with the Dallas Stars. During the 2012–13 season, Roussel split his time between Dallas and their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. For the 2013–14 season, Roussel played with the Dallas Stars for the entire season, playing 81 games.

On 22 July 2014, the Stars announced that Roussel had signed a four-year, $8 million contract extension with the team.

Roussel competed in the 2012 IIHF World Championship, 2013 IIHF World Championship and 2014 IIHF World Championship as a member of the French national team. At the end of the 2014 IIHF World Championship, he was selected as a Media All-Star after a very successful tournament, scoring 11 points in eight games.

Regular season and playoffs

International