Attending college at Miami (Ohio) University and playing a year of juniors in St. Louis, Justin Mercier is no stranger to the Midwest. Mercier joins the Lake Erie Monsters as a rookie in the 2009-10 season. As Colorado’s sixth-round selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Mercier went to Miami for four years before signing a two-way contract with the Avalanche in July 2009. Before playing hockey at Miami, he was a member of the US National Under-18 Team and played for the St. Louis Heartland Eagles of the USHL.

Spending four years as a RedHawk, Mercier put up his best numbers in college during his junior year with 40 points (25G, 15A). Although young, the 22-year-old Mercier has already seen playing time in the NHL, appearing in three games with Colorado earlier in the season. At this point in the 2009-10 season, Mercier has recorded 10 points (6G, 4A), three multi-point games and, most recently, netted the game-winning goal in overtime on January 22 in front of more than 18,000 fans at Quicken Loans Arena.

Highlights

• January 22nd: Recorded third multi-point game of the season (2G, 1A); scored game-winning goal in overtime; earned first star of the game honors 

• January 3rd: Notched second multi-point game of the season (2G, 1A) in 7-2 win against Grand Rapids

• January 2nd: Picked up first multi-point game of the season (2G) in 3-2 win against Hamilton. These were his first goals as a professional and his first game-winning goal of the season

• December 9th: Made NHL debut against the Minnesota Wild

• November 6th: Registered first point as a professional, an assist, in shootout loss against Grand Rapids