Born on December 1st, 1965, Roger Belanger had a monster season with the OHL's Kingston Canadians in his draft year of 1983-84, scoring 44 goals and 90 points in 67 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins had three first round draft picks in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, thanks to some crafty trading by general manager Eddie Johnson, who acquired first round draft choices from Winnipeg and Philadelphia in deals that saw Randy Carlyle and Rich Sutter leave Pittsburgh.
The Penguins selected Mario Lemieux with their pick, added Doug Bodger with the selection they got from the Jets and claimed St. Catharines, Ontario native Roger Belanger with the pick they got from Philadelphia. Amazingly, all three youngsters played in the NHL the following year, with Lemieux recording a 100-point season and capturing the rookie of the year and Bodger logging 65 games on the Penguins blueline. Belanger, a six-foot center, played 44 games for the Penguins, notching three goals and five assists.
The following season, Belanger couldn't crack the improving Penguins roster and was assigned to the Penguins American Hockey League affiliate. It would prove to be the last season of his career that wasn't decimated by injuries. While Belanger played 69 games that year, he dropped to just 37 the following year and just seven in his final year of pro hockey before the constant injuries forced him out of the game.
