Born in Richmond, Quebec, Sylvain Lefebvre played junior in the QMJHL with Laval. He was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens then spent two years developing in the AHL with the Sherbrooke Canadiens. In 1988-89, he scored 47 points and played rock hard defence while earning selection to the league's Second All-Star Team.
Lefebvre played three seasons in Montreal before he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in August 1992. The rugged blueliner blossomed under Pat Burns, his former coach in Montreal. His willingness to play the body and buy into Burns' disciplined system was a key factor behind Toronto being the only team to reach the semi-finals in both 1993 and 1994.
When Mats Sundin was acquired at the 1994 Entry Draft for Wendel Clark, the Nords insisted that Lefebvre be included in the trade. There was a great deal of emotion over the loss of Clark, but Lefebvre's absence was more damaging to the team over the next few years. The club wasn't able to replace him and watched as he helped solidify the blueline of the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in 1996.
The rugged defender played three more years in Denver before joining the New York Rangers as a free agent prior to the 1999-00 season. Upon his arrival in New York, Lefebvre continued to play solid defence with his new club, until injuries began to take their toll during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Lefebvre announced his retirement at the end of the 2002-03 season.
