Martin Lefebvre

{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey defenceman}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox ice hockey biography

| name = Martin Lefebvre

| image = Lefebvre Martin 25-10-2023.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Lefebvre with Porin Ässät in 2023 wearing the top scorer's golden helmet

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|06|23}}

| birth_place = Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lbs = 185

| position = Defence

| shoots = Left

| league = KHL

| team = Kunlun Red Star

| former_teams = Gwinnett Gladiators
Cincinnati Cyclones
Aalborg Pirates
Krefeld Pinguine
Stavanger Oilers
Porin Ässät

| draft = Undrafted

| career_start = 2017

}}

Martin Lefebvre (born June 23, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Kunlun Red Star in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Lefebvre has previously played for Porin Ässät of the SM-liiga,{{Cite web |title=Tehopuolustaja Martin Lefebvre Ässiin |url=https://assat.com/fi-fi/article/uutiset/tehopuolustaja-martin-lefebvre-assiin/6250/ |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=assat.com}}{{Cite web |date=May 5, 2023 |title=Kanadalainen mestaripuolustaja siirtyy SM-liigaan – takonut kovat pisteet |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/kanadalainen-mestaripuolustaja-siirtyy-sm-liigaan-takonut-kovat-pisteet/8690424 |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi}} Krefield Pinguine of the DEL, Aalborg Pirates of the Metal Ligaen and Stavanger Oilers of the Fjordkraftligaen. His achievements in said teams include Danish Championship, Danish Cup Championship, Danish League All-Star Team selection, two Norwegian Championships and Fjordjraftligaen Player of the Year award.{{Cite web |title=Martin Lefebvre at eliteprospects.com |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/37480/martin-lefebvre |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=www.eliteprospects.com |language=en}}

Playing career

= Junior =

During the 2007–08 season Martin Lefebvre played for Crabtree Draveurs in the QMAAA as a 15 year old. Lefebvre put up 5 goals and 13 assists in 44 games. Lefebvre played 3 playoff games with 2 points.

The next season Lefebvre continued to represent the Collège Esther-Blondin Draveurs in the QMAA. Lefebvre put up 30 points in 34 games. Lefebvre played 15 playoff games with 11 points and won the QMAA Top Defenceman award. He moved to he Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL before the season ended and played 7 games without any points. Lefebvre got to represent the Canada Québec team at the 2009 WHC-17 for 5 games where he scored 6 points.

In the 2013–14 season Lefebvre moved to the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL but he only got to play 14 games before moving to play for UQTR Patriotes in the CIS men's ice hockey league. Lefebvre played 7 games with 8 points.

In the 2016–17 season Lefebvre played for the UQTR Patriotes in the U Sports men's ice hockey league for 22 games putting up 25 points. Lefebvre moved to play for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL in the middle of the season.{{Cite web |title=CYCLONES SIGN COLLEGIATE DEFENSEMAN |url=https://cycloneshockey.com/news/2017/03/cyclones-sign-collegiate-defenseman |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Cincinnati Cyclones |language=en}} Lefebvre played 11 games and put up 7 points. Lefebvre represented Canada at the 2017 Winter Universidade for 6 games where he scored 8 points.

= Professional =

In the 2017–18 season Lefebvre moved to Denmark to play for the Aalborg Pirates. Lefebvre played 48 regular season games and put up 36 points. Lefebvre won the Danish Championship and the Danish Cup with the Pirates while also being chosen to the All-Star team.{{Cite web |last=FORFATTER |first=INGEN |date=2020-08-03 |title=Canadisk profil tager en ny tørn i Aalborg Pirates |url=https://nordjyske.dk/nyheder/sport/canadisk-profil-tager-en-ny-toern-i-aalborg-pirates/bd5d046b-5a19-4665-b05b-d08bb7d8ac2f |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=www.nordjyske.dk |language=da}}

In the 2018–19 season Lefebvre played for the Krefeld Pinguine in the DEL for 52 games to put up 23 points.{{Cite web |last=ONLINE |first=RP |date=2018-06-08 |title=Kanadischer Verteidiger: Pinguine bestätigen Verpflichtung von Lefebvre |url=https://rp-online.de/sport/eishockey/kev/krefeld-pinguine-bestaetigen-verpflichtung-von-martin-lefebvre_aid-23299815 |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=RP ONLINE |language=de}}

Martin Lefebvre moved to Norway to play for the Stavanger Oilers in the Fjordkraftligaen for the 2021–22 season. Lefebvre put up 39 points in 47 total games. The Oilers went on to win the Norwegian Championship.{{Cite web |title=IIHF - Stavanger back on top in Norway |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/33134/stavanger_back_on_top_in_norway |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation |language=en}}

Lefebvre was supposed to play for the Bratislava Capitals of the ICEHL for the 2022–23 season, but after the Slovakian team decided to not take part in the league, Lefebvre continued to play for the Oilers.{{Cite web |title=Bratislava-Legionär findet neuen Arbeitgeber! |url=https://hockey-news.info/icehl-bratislava-legionaer-findet-neuen-arbeitgeber/ |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Hockey News |date=August 2022 |language=de-DE}} Lefebvre had a successful season as he put up 71 points in 59 total games, playoffs included. The Stavanger based team went on to win their 9th championship and the 2nd in a row.{{Citation |last1=Mikkelsen |first1=Marius N. |title=Stavanger Oilers |date=2023-04-17 |url=https://snl.no/Stavanger_Oilers |work=Store norske leksikon |access-date=2023-05-07 |language=no |last2=Askheim |first2=Svein}} Lefebvre himself won the player of the year award as he led all defencemen in regular season assists (35), goals (17) and points (52). Lefebvre also played 6 Champions Hockey League (CHL) games with the Oilers.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-19 |title=Ässät nappasi kanadalaisen tehopakin |url=https://www.is.fi/sm-liiga/art-2000009528789.html |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Ilta-Sanomat |language=fi}}

Martin Lefebvre signed a one-year contract with the Porin Ässät for the 2023–24 SM-liiga season. Lefebvre's playing surprised many, as he had scored 12 points in his first 15 SM-liiga games. He was called the most surprising player of the season start by news outlets.{{Cite web |title=Mies tuli vuonolta ja hurmasi Suomen |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/smliiga/a/b9a93979-8148-40cf-b852-1f753725909b |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.iltalehti.fi |language=fi}}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-23 |title=Liiga {{!}} Ässien alkukauden yllättäjällä on erikoinen urapolku – Porissa mukana on koko perhe: "Seisomakatsomo on minulle ihan uusi kokemus" |url=https://www.satakunnankansa.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000009926246.html |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Satakunnan Kansa |language=fi}}

For 2024–25, Lefebvre left Porin Ässät, signing with Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League.{{cite web |url=https://en.khl.ru/news/2024/06/11/532384.html |title=Radulov lands in Yaroslavl, Dinamo and Kunlun strengthen defense. Top transfers |date=June 11, 2024 |accessdate=July 20, 2024 |website=khl.ru |publisher=Kontinental Hockey League}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! colspan="5"|Regular season

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! colspan="5"|Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2007–08

|Crabtree Draveurs

|QMAAA

| 44

5131836

| 3

0220
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2008–09

|Collège Esther-Blondin Draveurs

|QMAAA

| 34

15153026

| 15

47118
2008–09

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 7

0004

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2009–10

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 55

5232820

| 9

0336
2010–11

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 65

10455520

| 14

19108
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2011–12

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 66

12395131

| 11

481210
2012–13

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 56

7334016

| 11

1340
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2013–14

|Gwinnett Gladiators

|ECHL

| 14

0224

| —

2013–14

| U. of Québec-Trois-Rivières

| CIS

| 7

4480

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2014–15

|U. of Québec-Trois-Rivières

|CIS

| 14

614204

| 7

2352
2015–16

|U. of Québec-Trois-Rivières

|CIS

| 28

9243320

| 7

2462
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2016–17

|U. of Québec-Trois-Rivières

|USports

| 5

0112

| —

2016–17

| Cincinnati Cyclones

| ECHL

| 11

3474

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2017–18

|Aalborg Pirates

|DEN

|48

|9

|27

|36

|12

|17

|10

|6

|16

|4

2018–19

|Krefeld Pinguine

|DEL

|52

|3

|20

|23

|20

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2019–20

|Aalborg Pirates

|DEN

|8

|2

|2

|4

|0

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

2020–21

|Aalborg Pirates

|DEN

|19

|7

|13

|20

|2

|16

|5

|6

|11

|4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2021–22

|Stavanger Oilers

|NOR

|35

|7

|23

|30

|14

|12

|3

|6

|9

|0

2022–23

|Stavanger Oilers

|NOR

|44

|17

|35

|52

|6

|15

|4

|15

|19

|6

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2023–24

|Ässät

|Liiga

|46

|4

|23

|27

|12

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

2024–25

|Kunlun Red Star

|KHL

|55

|4

|8

|12

|10

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" |Norway totals

!79

!24

!58

!82

!20

!27

!7

!21

!28

!6

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" |Liiga totals

!46

!4

!23

!27

!12

!—

!—

!—

!—

!—

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! Result

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2009

| Canada Quebec

| U17

| 5th

| 5

1562
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4" |Junior totals

! 5 !! 1 !! 5 !! 6 !! 2

References

{{reflist}}