Éric Houde is a professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 player who played 30 games in the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 for the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

. The journeyman currently plays for Rivière-du-Loup CIMT

Rivière-du-Loup CIMT

The Riviere-du-Loup 3L is a hockey team in the LNAH , which is based in the province of Quebec. The team's first season in the LNAH was 2008-09. The city of Rivière-du-Loup earlier in the decade had teams in the QSPHL, QSMHL and QSCHL, including a previous CIMT franchise....

 in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey

The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey was founded in 2004 and is a low-level professional league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League from 1996 until it turned pro in 2004...

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Houde was drafted 216th overall by the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft

1995 NHL Entry Draft

The 1995 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta. The drafting order was now set partially by a lottery system whereby teams would not be guaranteed first pick if they finished last. Instead, a draft lottery was instituted in which the winner of the lottery could move...

 and made his debut for the team during the 1996–97 NHL season, playing 13 games for Montreal. He would play 17 more games over two seasons for a total of 30 games, scoring two goals and three assists for five points. Over the next two seasons, Houde had spells in the American Hockey League

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 for the Hamilton Bulldogs

Hamilton Bulldogs

The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...

 and Springfield Falcons

Springfield Falcons

The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the...

 and the International Hockey League for the Utah Grizzlies

Utah Grizzlies

The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :...

 and the Chicago Wolves

Chicago Wolves

The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...

. In 2001, Houde moved to Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Serie A for Asiago and then moved to Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

's Deutsche Eishockey Liga in 2002 with the Schwenningen Wild Wings

Schwenningen Wild Wings

The Schwenningen Wild Wings are a defunct professional ice hockey team that competed in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1994–95 until the 2002–03 when they lost their license due to insolvency proceedings....

. He returned to Quebec in 2003, signing for the Verdun Dragons

Verdun Dragons

The Verdun Dragons were a hockey team based in Verdun, Quebec. The team was part of the Ligue nord-américaine de hockey . The Dragons played at the Verdun Auditorium. They won the Futura Cup against the Saint-Georges Garaga in 2003-2004....

 of the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey

The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey was founded in 2004 and is a low-level professional league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League from 1996 until it turned pro in 2004...

 before returning to Europe, joining Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 Nationalliga B side SC Langenthal

SC Langenthal

SC Langenthal is a Swiss professional ice hockey team. They compete in the National League B, the second tier of the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland, behind the National League A.-External links:*...

. In 2004, Houde returned to Germany, spending three seasons in the 2nd Bundesliga

2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)

The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...

 for the Essen Mosquitoes

Essen Mosquitoes

The Essen Mosquitoes are a defunct professional ice hockey team that competed in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1999–2000 until the 2001–02 when they lost their license due to insolvency....

 and the Landshut Cannibals

Landshut Cannibals

The Landshut Cannibals are a professional ice hockey team based in Landshut, Bavaria. Currently they are members of the 2nd Bundesliga. The team was founded in 1948 as Eislaufverein Landshut , but since 2002 the professional team is organised as “Landshut Cannibals”. The EVL is still responsible...

. He moved to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 in 2007 with Rouen

Dragons de Rouen

Rouen Hockey Élite 76 is a French ice hockey team based in Rouen playing in the Ligue Magnus. The team is also known as "Dragons de Rouen" .The team was founded in 1982 and plays home games at the Île Lacroix.-History:...

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