Lou Franceschetti was born March 28, 1958, in Toronto, Ontario. He usually played right wing, although he could play either side. He started in Tier II hockey when he was 17, until he was drafted by Niagara Falls in the third round.
Franceschetti was picked up by the Washington Capitals in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. On June 29, 1989, Franceschetti was traded from the Washington Capitals to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored between 20-30 points a year while with the Leafs. He also has the longest name on record with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Buffalo Sabers on December 17, 1990. He played with the Toronto Planets in 1993, the Buffalo Stampede in 1995, and the Buffalo Wings in 1998.
Lou Franceschetti was known for his checking, fighting, work ethic, and generally creating havoc. In the 1989-1990 regular season, he received three fight cards. In 1990-1991, in the regular season, he received one fight card. His best season was 1989-1990, in which he scored 23 goals and had 15 assists. His playing then declined as he finished his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabers in 1991.
Since 1992, he has played and coached in New Haven, Rochester, Jacksonville, Detroit, Minnesota, London and Nashville. He has also tried roller hockey, playing for the Toronto Planets. He has coached for the Phoenix Cobras and the Buffalo Stampede of the Roller Hockey International League. Retired since 1996, he is now working for a small construction company in Toronto. In his free time, he often referees ball hockey games.
