Benoît Robert Pouliot (born September 29, 1986) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
left winger
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
who most recently played for the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). He has previously played in the NHL with the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
,
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
,
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
,
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
,
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
. Pouliot was originally drafted by the Wild fourth overall in the
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to the draft being postponed to July 30.
Special procedures were required to determine the order of picks, because ...
.
Playing career
Amateur
Pouliot grew up in
St. Isidore, Ontario
St. Isidore (formerly known as St. Isidore de Prescott) is a community in The Nation Municipality, Ontario, The Nation Municipality in Prescott and Russell United Counties, Ontario, Prescott and Russell County in Ontario, Canada.
The town was o ...
, playing
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...
for his hometown St. Isidore Eagles, where he was coached by his father Sylvain.
Pouliot was later promoted to the AA Eastern Ontario Cobras of the
ODMHA where he played up until the Bantam age level. He played in the 2000
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with the Eastern Ontario team. He also saw time in Jr.B. with Les Castors de Clarence Creek.
Pouliot was later drafted in the 11th round, 207th overall, by the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...
(OHL)'s
Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) ice hockey team based in Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Sudbury has had various hockey teams competing at the Junior ice hockey, junior and senior ice hockey levels of the game k ...
in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection after playing for the Cobras.
The following season, he was reassigned to the
Hawkesbury Hawks
The Hawkesbury Hawks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL).
History
The Hawks were formed by a group of local businessmen in March 1974. From 1974 until 1976 ...
Jr.A. club of the
Canadian Junior Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior H ...
(CJHL), a team his father had previously played for.
In his first year, Pouliot won the
Emms Family Award
The Emms Family Award is presented annually to the Rookie of the Year (top first-year player) in the Ontario Hockey League. The winner is also nominated for the CHL Rookie of the Year. The award was donated by Hap Emms. Leighton "Hap" Emms was a c ...
as the OHL's top rookie for
2004–05. On July 30, 2005, after his first full season of
major junior hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
, he was drafted fourth overall by the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
at the
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to the draft being postponed to July 30.
Special procedures were required to determine the order of picks, because ...
. Later that year, he was also named to the
Canadian junior team that ultimately won the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
at the
2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2006 WJHC'') were held in Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and ...
. He finished the
2005–06 season with 65 points in 51 games, including 35 goals.
Professional
Pouliot signed a tryout contract with Minnesota's
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Houston Aeros, on April 28, 2006, playing there for two games in the team's Semifinal
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its curr ...
playoff series against the
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...
. He was then signed professionally to the Wild on May 1. He made his NHL debut later in the year, on November 22, against the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
, after which he would return to the Aeros until March 15, 2008.
Pouliot scored his first two career NHL goals for Minnesota against
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
on March 22, 2008, though the Wild still lost the game, 5–4.
Pouliot later was placed on the
2008–09 roster at the beginning season. After scoring just 11 points in 37 games, Pouliot was later sent down to the AHL's Aeros. On November 23, he was traded to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in exchange for
Guillaume Latendresse
Guillaume Latendresse (born May 24, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the second round, 45th overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and played i ...
.
On July 1, 2011, Pouliot signed as a free agent with the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
on a one-year, $1.1 million contract. On June 23, 2012, as a pending unrestricted free agent, Pouliot's rights were traded to the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
in exchange for forward
Michel Ouellet
Michel Ouellet (born March 5, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Ouellet was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 4th round (124th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry ...
and a fifth- round draft pick (131st overall) used later that day at the
2012 NHL Entry Draft
The 2012 NHL Entry Draft was the 50th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held June 22–23, 2012, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first time that Pittsburgh hosted the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. The top th ...
to select
Seth Griffith
Seth Griffith (born January 4, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey Leag ...
. Two days later, Pouliot signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract extension with the Lightning.
On July 5, 2013, again as a free agent, Pouliot signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
.
After a successful season with the Rangers and looking for term after playing on three successive one-year deals, Pouliot agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract with the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
on July 1, 2014. During his first season with the Oilers in the
2014–15 season, Pouliot transitioned easily to the rebuilding club, increasing his scoring presence with 34 points in just 58 games. He was sidelined for 24 games however due to injury.
Despite the Oilers returning to the playoffs after a 10-year hiatus in the
2016–17 season, Pouliot endured a lackluster year with 14 points in 67 games regular season games, and no points in 13 playoff games. On June 29, 2017, Pouliot was placed on waivers in order for the Oilers to buy-out the remaining two-years of his contract.
On July 1, 2017, Pouliot was promptly signed by the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent, to a one-year $1.15 million deal.
Personal
Pouliot's younger brother, Hugo, played for the same
Hawkesbury Hawks
The Hawkesbury Hawks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL).
History
The Hawks were formed by a group of local businessmen in March 1974. From 1974 until 1976 ...
Jr.A. team that Benoît and their father both played with.
The day after Pouliot scored his first-ever OHL goal in February 2004, his father died from
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pouliot, Benoit
1986 births
Boston Bruins players
Buffalo Sabres players
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Edmonton Oilers players
Franco-Ontarian people
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Living people
Minnesota Wild draft picks
Minnesota Wild players
Montreal Canadiens players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New York Rangers players
People from the United Counties of Prescott and Russell
Sudbury Wolves players
Tampa Bay Lightning players