Fabien Laniel
I’ll be honest with you, Fabien Laniel might be one of the weirdest pro hockey stories I’ve seen in a long time, and even weirder that he ultimately saw ECHL ice in any way, shape, or form. A native of Ste-Martine, Quebec, Laniel showed some promise as a two-way defenseman in the QMJHL over four seasons from 2001 to 2005, yet in spite of two 20-goal campaigns was largely passed over professionally. After signing with the UHL’s Flint Generals for the 2005-06 season, Laniel played just 32 games with the team, and 4 more in the CHL the following year, before finding his way to the LNAH, which is ultimately where he’s spent the rest of his career.
A spare player at best over the course of six seasons, Laniel played just 48 games total in that span, making his living largely as a rent-an-enforcer who played sparingly with limited offensive numbers. At 37-years old, Laniel hadn’t played hockey, either semi-pro or professional, since the 2013-14 season, yet somehow found himself seeing the ice for one game with the Lions this season, which quite frankly, is one of the more bizarre and unexpected things I’ve seen in professional hockey in quite a while. Regardless, it’s a fitting addition to what has largely been an unexpected season, for the Lions, the Canadiens, and the Rocket, this season.