MARINERS SIGN FORMER NHL DRAFT PICK PASCAL LABERGE

PORTLAND, ME – August 24, 2021 – The Mariners announced the signing of former Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Pascal Laberge on Tuesday. A forward, Laberge was selected in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft, and played his first three professional seasons in the Flyers organization.

The 23-year-old from Chateauguay, Quebec, has spent parts of the last four seasons with the Flyers American Hockey League affiliates, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 2020-21, Laberge appeared in 14 games for the Phantoms and scored three goals with one assist. He split the 2019-20 season between the Phantoms and the Reading Royals of the ECHL. In 23 games with Lehigh Valley, he scored seven goals and added three assists. With Reading, he registered 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 24 contests.

Laberge made his professional debut with the Phantoms at the end of the 2017-18 season, appearing in two games. He scored his first pro goal during the following season of 2018-19, skating in a total of 15 contests. Laberge has accumulated 54 career games at the AHL level and 24 in the ECHL.

Before turning pro, Laberge played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he was the 2nd overall pick in 2014 by the Gatineau Olympiques. Throughout his QMJHL career, Laberge would spend time with three different organizations. He was traded from Gatineau to the Victoriaville Tigres midway through the 2014-15 campaign and would remain there for the next two and a half seasons. The 2015-16 season with Victoriaville was Laberge’s best offensively, as he posted 68 points (23 goals, 45 assists) in 56 games. He added five points (two goals, three assists) in five playoff games. Laberge was dealt again in his final year in the QMJHL, going from Victoriaville to the Quebec Remparts.

In the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Laberge had his named called early in the second round, as the Flyers selected him 36th overall.

“Signing a player of Pascal’s caliber is great for our hockey team,” said Mariners Head Coach Ben Guite. “He’s someone that makes plays and that can put the puck in the back of the net while playing a solid, rugged 200-foot game. He fits exactly how we want to build our team in Maine, and he will be looked upon to show the way to less experienced players and be leaned on for crucial playing time.”