A former first-round pick of the 2009 NHL Draft is returning to his native Quebec to continue his professional playing career. In a team announcement , the LNAH’s (Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey) Saint-Hyacinthe Bataillon shared that they’ve signed defenseman Simon Després to a contract for the 2025-26 season.

Després was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks after the organization reached its first Stanley Cup Final since the 1991-92 season. The Laval, Quebec native was playing for the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs at the time, finishing his tenure with the team after the 2010-11 season, during which he managed 25 goals and 134 points in 240 games, including six additional goals and 39 points in 58 postseason contests.

Given that the team had won the Stanley Cup in 2009 a

See Full Page