OHL mourns the loss of Jason Lafreniere

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is saddened by news of the loss of former Brantford Alexanders, Hamilton Steelhawks and Belleville Bulls forward Jason Lafreniere who has passed away at his home in Vancouver at the age of 59.

From St. Catharines, ON and the son of long-time pro Roger Lafreniere, Jason was selected by Brantford in the second round of the 1983 OHL Priority Selection and went on to record 308 points (99-209–308) over just three seasons. He won the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player and was a First Team All-Star in 1985-86, graduating as a 132-point scorer (49-83–132) with Belleville, helping the Bulls reach the OHL Championship Final where they lost to the Guelph Platers. He led the 1986 OHL Playoffs in scoring with 32 points (10-22–32) in 23 games.

A second round pick by the Quebec Nordiques in 1985, Lafreniere played in 146 career NHL contests between 1986-94, notably as a member of the inaugural Tampa Bay Lightning team in 1992-93. He was a prominent player with several different IHL teams, compiling 216 points (63-156–216) in as many games and also played several seasons in Europe before retiring in 2005.

The OHL sends condolences to Jason’s friends and family.