Jason John Pominville (born November 30, 1982) 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 ...
-
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
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 ...
right 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 ...
. He 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 ...
and 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 ...
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).
Playing career
Amateur
As a youth, Pominville played in the 1995 and 1996
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, ...
s with
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 ...
teams from
Repentigny, Quebec
Repentigny () is an off-island suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located north of the city on the lower end of the L'Assomption River, and on the Saint Lawrence River. Repentigny and Charlemagne were the first towns off the eastern tip ...
and Rive-Nord.
Pominville played
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 ...
for the
Shawinigan Cataractes
The Shawinigan Cataractes (french: Cataractes de Shawinigan) are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruin ...
of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...
(QMJHL). In his fourth and final year with Shawinigan,
2001–02, he amassed 121 points in 66 games – seventh in league scoring – and was awarded the
Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award began in the 1969–70 season as a team trophy awarded to the league's West Division champions. It has bee ...
as the league's most gentlemanly player.
Professional
Buffalo Sabres
Pominville was drafted 55th overall in the second round by 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 ...
in the
2001 NHL Entry Draft
__NOTOC__
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was the 39th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 23 and 24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.
As of 2022, the only remaining active players in the NHL from the 2001 draft class are M ...
. He played for the Sabres' minor league affiliate, the
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans (colloquially known as the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, a ...
of the
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), until the
2005–06 season, when he earned a roster spot with Buffalo.
To begin the 2005–06 campaign, Pominville had initially been waived by the Sabres. Clearing
waivers, he continued to play in the minors until he was called up a few months into the season.
He scored his first NHL goal on November 27, 2005 – a
powerplay goal against
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig (born 6 April 1970) is a South African-born German former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltender coach and player development coach for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). With the excepti ...
in a 3–2 win against the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
. Pominville quickly became an integral part of the Sabres line-up and finished the rest of the season with the Sabres with 18 goals in 57 games. In the
2006 playoffs, he recorded a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
in Game 2 of the first round against the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
. Later in the Sabres' playoff run, he scored the series-clinching goal in the second round against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
– a
shorthanded
Short-handed is a term used in ice hockey and several related sports, including water polo, and refers to having fewer skaters (players) on the ice during play, as a result of a penalty. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the pe ...
effort in
overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
of Game 5. It marked the first time in NHL history that a playoff series was decided by an overtime shorthanded goal. Buffalo announcer
Rick Jeanneret
John Richard Jeanneret (born July 23, 1942)Pergament, Alan (October 5, 2014)‘I feel like an American,’ Jeanneret says, as he gets cancer treatment here ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved October 5, 2014. “Jeanneret received his first radiatio ...
marked this occasion with a call that is now famous in Buffalo hockey lore: "Oh, now do you believe? Now do you believe? These guys are good, scary good!" The Sabres had qualified as the fourth seed in the playoffs after failing to qualify the previous three seasons.
![Jason Pominville Sabres 2012-02-19](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Jason_Pominville_Sabres_2012-02-19.JPG)
After improving to 68 points the following season, Pominville made a name for himself in
2007–08. He scored at nearly a point-per-game with 80 points in 82 games. In the absence of departed co-captains
Chris Drury
Christopher Ellis Drury (born August 20, 1976) is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He has served as the president and general manager for the New York Rangers since May 5, 2021. He previously served as the genera ...
and
Daniel Brière
Daniel Jean-Claude Brière (born October 6, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and executive. He was drafted in the first round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes, and also played for the Buffalo Sabres, Ph ...
from the previous season, the Sabres utilized a rotating captaincy during the 2007–08 season; Pominville was named captain for the months of March and April.
[ At the end of the season, he was nominated for the ]Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of ...
as the league's most sportsmanlike player, along with Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk (, ; born 20 July 1978) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. Datsyuk was nicknamed the "Magic Man" honoring his incredible stickhandling and creativity with the puck. From 2001 to 2016, he played for the ...
and Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis (French spelling Martin St-Louis, ; born June 18, 1975) is a Canadian hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He is the current head coach of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). An undraf ...
; the honour was awarded to Datsyuk.
On September 18, 2008, the Sabres acknowledged Pominville's rise to prominence and signed him to a five-year, $26.5 million contract extension (taking effect in 2009–10). His existing contract saw him make just over $1 million per season.[
On October 13, 2010, his consecutive start streak of 335 games was broken because of the concussion he had received from ]Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson
Niklas Hjalmarsson (born 6 June 1987) is a Swedish retired professional ice hockey defenceman who last played for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
He previously also played for the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes of the National ...
(who was suspended two games for the illegal hit) in the previous game on October 11, 2010, when he was checked into the boards head first and then removed from the ice in a stretcher.
On October 6, 2011, in Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, Pominville was named permanent Sabres captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. He became the 16th full-time captain in Sabres team history. While captain of the Sabres, he filmed a video for the You Can Play
You Can Play is a social activism campaign dedicated to the eradication of homophobia in sports, centered on the slogan, "If you can play, you can play." The campaign was launched on March 4, 2012, by its three co-founders: Patrick Burke (a sco ...
campaign, which aims to reduce homophobia in sport.
With the lockout
Lockout may refer to:
* Lockout (industry), a type of work stoppage
**Dublin Lockout, a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers 1913 - 1914
* Lockout (sports), lockout in sports leagues
**MLB lockout, lock ...
postponing the beginning of the 2012–13 season, Pominville signed his first European contract on a temporary basis with German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
club Adler Mannheim
The Adler Mannheim (English: ''Mannheim Eagles'', formerly Mannheimer ERC) is a professional ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest-level ice hockey league in Germany. The team is based in Mannheim, a city in the northern pa ...
of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called "PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga") (; English: ''German Ice Hockey League'') or DEL, is a German professional ice hockey league and the highest division in German ice hockey. Founded in ...
on November 30, 2012. Pominville produced 12 points in just seven games for the Eagles before returning to prepare for the Sabres' season opener.
Minnesota Wild
With the Sabres enduring a largely unsuccessful season and with the intentions to revamp the roster, Pominville, along with a 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
fourth-round pick, were traded to 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 ...
in exchange for Johan Larsson Johan Larsson may refer to:
* Johan Larsson (musician) (born 1974), Swedish bassist
* Johan Larsson (ice hockey, born 1986), Swedish ice hockey player
* Johan Larsson (ice hockey, born 1992), Swedish ice hockey player, drafted by the Minnesota Wil ...
, Matt Hackett
Matthew Hackett (born March 7, 1990) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. He played 26 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota Wild and Buffalo Sabres between 2011 and 2015. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2010 to ...
, a 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
first-round pick and 2014 second-round pick on April 3, 2013. With the Wild, Pominville recorded nine points in ten regular season games.
During the 2013–14 season, he scored 30 goals and 30 assists for 60 points to lead the Wild in scoring.
Return to Buffalo
On June 30, 2017, Pominville returned to the Sabres in a trade that sent him, Marco Scandella
Marco Scandella (born February 23, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played major junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for t ...
and a 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
fourth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno
Marcus Foligno (; born August 10, 1991) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey winger and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed “Moose” He was selected 104th overall by the Buffa ...
and a 2018 third-round pick.
On November 1, 2018, Pominville played in his 1,000 career NHL game. He recorded a goal in a 4–2 loss to the Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
. The next game, following a pregame ceremony by the Sabres to commemorate his milestone, Pominville recorded two goals and an assist in a 9–2 win over the Senators.
The Sabres did not renew Pominville's contract during the 2019 offseason. He spent the year in Buffalo, playing in beer league
''Artie Lange's Beer League'' (also known simply as ''Beer League'') is a 2006 American comedy film written and produced by, and starring, Artie Lange. It was released in select theaters on September 15, 2006 in the New Jersey, New York, Cleveland ...
s. In a June 2020 interview, it was stated that Pominville's playing career had ended.
Personal life
Pominville is a dual citizen of Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. His father, Jean-Marie, is a native of Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and his mother, Deborah, is a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...
.
Pominville and his wife Kim have two children together. The family resides in East Amherst, New York
East Amherst is a suburban hamlet northeast of downtown Buffalo, Erie County, New York, United States. It straddles the towns of Amherst and Clarence, and comprises the majority of ZIP code 14051.
History
East Amherst is centered in an are ...
. They previously resided in Edina, Minnesota
Edina ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous city in Minnesota.
Edina began as a small farming and mil ...
during his stint with the Wild.
International play
Because Pominville has dual citizenship, he was eligible to play for either the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
or Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in international tournaments, and opted to play for Team USA.
Making his international debut, he chose to represent the United States at the 2008 World Championships and scored five points in seven games.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pominville, Jason
1982 births
Living people
Adler Mannheim players
Anglophone Quebec people
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Buffalo Sabres captains
Buffalo Sabres players
Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Ice hockey people from Quebec
Minnesota Wild players
National Hockey League All-Stars
People from Repentigny, Quebec
Rochester Americans players
Shawinigan Cataractes players
Canadian ice hockey right wingers