Stéphane Yelle

Stéphane Yelle (born May 9, 1974) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, and also played in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes.
==Playing career==
Yelle played with the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League when he was drafted in the 8th round (186th overall) in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. On June 1, 1994, he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques, and made his professional debut in the 1994–95 season with AHL affiliate, the Cornwall Aces. 
The following season, Yelle's rights were transferred as the Nordiques relocated to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche. In 1995–96, his and the Avalanche's first season in the NHL, Yelle became a regular as he played in 71 games on route to the Stanley Cup Championship. Known as an excellent faceoff taker and a gritty, hard-working player, Yelle played seven seasons for the Avalanche from 1995 to 2002, capturing another Stanley Cup in the 2000–01 season. 
On October 1, 2002, prior to the 2002–03 season, Stephane was traded by the Avalanche, along with Chris Drury, to the Calgary Flames for Derek Morris, Dean McAmmond and Jeff Shantz. Yelle's transition was seamless as he established himself on the Flames checking line, helping Calgary to a 2004 Stanley Cup final appearance after a seven year playoff hiatus. Throughout his five seasons with the Flames, Yelle's versatility and defensive prowess was often highlighted as he would often fill-in as a defenseman when others were out injured.
On September 3, 2008, Yelle was signed to a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins. In 2008–09, the veteran played in 77 games scoring 18 points with the Eastern Conference leading Bruins.
On August 19, 2009, he signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. After a slow start to the 2009–10 season, the struggling Hurricanes placed Yelle on waivers on October 26, 2009. He went unclaimed and progressively found his feet, staying on the roster. 
On March 3, 2010, Yelle was traded by the Hurricanes, along with Harrison Reed, to return to the Colorado Avalanche for Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll and a sixth-round draft pick. He has since retired and taken a development coordinator position with the Avalanche.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1991–92 	Oshawa Generals 	OHL 		55 	12 	14 	26 	20 		7 	2 	0 	2 	2
1992–93 	Oshawa Generals 	OHL 		66 	24 	50 	74 	20 		10 	2 	4 	6 	4
1993–94 	Oshawa Generals 	OHL 		66 	35 	69 	104 	22 		5 	1 	7 	8 	2
1994–95 	Cornwall Aces 	AHL 		40 	18 	15 	33 	22 		13 	7 	7 	14 	8
1995–96 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		71 	13 	14 	27 	30 		22 	1 	4 	5 	8
1996–97 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		79 	9 	17 	26 	38 		12 	1 	6 	7 	2
1997–98 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		81 	7 	15 	22 	48 		7 	1 	0 	1 	12
1998–99 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		72 	8 	7 	15 	40 		10 	0 	1 	1 	6
1999–00 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		79 	8 	14 	22 	28 		17 	1 	2 	3 	4
2000–01 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		50 	4 	10 	14 	20 		23 	1 	2 	3 	8
2001–02 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		73 	5 	12 	17 	48 		20 	0 	2 	2 	14
2002–03 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		82 	10 	15 	25 	50 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		53 	4 	13 	17 	24 		23 	3 	3 	6 	16
2005–06 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		74 	4 	14 	18 	48 		7 	1 	0 	1 	8
2006–07 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		56 	10 	14 	24 	32 		6 	0 	0 	0 	2
2007–08 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		74 	3 	9 	12 	20 		7 	2 	0 	2 	6
2008–09 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		77 	7 	11 	18 	32 		11 	0 	1 	1 	2
2009–10 	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL 		59 	4 	3 	7 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		11 	0 	1 	1 	4 		6 	0 	0 	0 	2
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		991 	96 	169 	265 	490 		171 	11 	21 	32 	90
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
* 
* NHLPA biography
Category:Born in 1974
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Carolina Hurricanes players
Category:Colorado Avalanche
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:New Jersey Devils draft picks
Category:Oshawa Generals alumni
Category:Stanley Cup champions