Career
A scoring winger who also possessed a gritty element to his game, Charbonneau was selected 12th overall in the 1985 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. As a Francophone drafted with such a high pick by Montreal expectations were very high, but he proved to be one of the most disappointing picks in franchise history. He turned pro in 1986, but experienced a difficult first pro season, scoring just 14 goals for Montreal"s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Sherbrooke.
He rebounded the next year to score 30 goals for Sherbrooke and received his first National Hockey League action for the Canadiens, although he registered just 2 assists in 16 games.
He played 9 more games for Montreal in 1988-1989 and scored his first National Hockey League goal, but was traded to the Vancouver Canucks mid-season. In 13 games for the Canucks, he continued to struggle, recording just a single assistant
Charbonneau spent one more season in the Canuck organization, but failed to see any more National Hockey League action and was released by the club in 1990, having produced just 1 goal and 7 points in 38 National Hockey League games. Following his release, he disappeared into hockey obscurity.
He spent the 1990-1991 season with the Canadian National Team, and had brief stints over the next two seasons in low-level leagues in Germany, Switzerland, and Holland.
He was given an invite to the club"s 1993 training camp, and shocked everyone by making the team Charbonneau was playing and scoring regularly for the first two months of the season, until back and knee injuries struck and caused him to miss 4 months of action. He returned late in the season, but struggled to get back his regular lineup spot.
He finished the season with 7 goals and 14 points in 30 games.
Charbonneau started the 1994-1995 season with the Canucks, but played only 3 games before being loaned to Las Vegas of the IHL. Unable to get another National Hockey League contract, he signed in Germany, where he enjoyed 6 productive and successful seasons in the DEL before retiring from the game in 2001. He finished his career with 9 goals and 22 points in 71 career National Hockey League games, along with 67 penalty minutes.
