| Alexandre Texier | |||
|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Texier with theSt. Louis Blues in 2024 | |||
| Born | (1999-09-13)13 September 1999 (age 26) Grenoble, France | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams | Montreal Canadiens Brûleurs de Loups KalPa Columbus Blue Jackets ZSC Lions St. Louis Blues | ||
| National team |  France | ||
| NHL draft | 45th overall,2017 Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
| Playing career | 2016–present | ||
Alexandre Texier (born 13 September 1999) is a French professionalice hockeyforward for theMontreal Canadiens of theNational Hockey League (NHL). Texier started his career withBrûleurs de Loups in the FrenchLigue Magnus, winning theCoupe de France in 2017 and earning theJean-Pierre Graff Trophy as best young player in the French League.
He was selected by theColumbus Blue Jackets in the second round, 45th overall in the2017 NHL Entry Draft, the first player drafted directly out of the French league. He then spent two seasons with FinnishLiiga sideKalPa, with whom he won theSpengler Cup in2018. He moved to North America and made his NHL debut with Columbus in 2019. He has also played in the NHL with theSt. Louis Blues. Internationally, Texier has representedFrance at the junior and senior level.
Texier grew up playing forBrûleurs de Loups inGrenoble,France, the same club his father Fabrice played for from 1989 until 1992. Arookie in theLigue Magnus in 2016–17, he was awarded theJean-Pierre Graff Trophy as the best first-year player.[1]
TheNational Hockey League (NHL)Central Scouting, which ranks players eligible for the annualNHL Entry Draft, had Texier as the 16th-best European skater prior to the2017 NHL Entry Draft.[2] He was ultimately selected in the second round, 45th overall by theColumbus Blue Jackets, becoming the first player drafted directly out of France.[3] After the draft Texier, who was also selected 17th in theCHL Import Draft by theBaie-Comeau Drakkar of theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), moved toKalPa of the FinnishLiiga for the2017–18 season.[3] The team's youngest player, he scored 13 goals and 22 points in 53 games. On 23 May 2018, after the conclusion of the season, Texier was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Blue Jackets, who then let him spend a second season in Finland.[4]
After his second season with Kalpa, in which he led the team with 41 points in 55 games, Texier was assigned to the Blue Jackets'American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theCleveland Monsters. He played seven games for the Monsters, scoring seven points, before the Blue Jackets recalled him.[5] Texier made his NHL debut on 5 April 2019 against theNew York Rangers.[6] He scored his first NHL goal the following night against theOttawa Senators in the team's final regular season game on 6 April.[7] He scored his first playoff goal against theTampa Bay Lightning in game four of the Blue Jackets'first-round playoff series on 16 April.[8]
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During his first full season in the NHL, Texier suffered a lumbar stress fracture that limited him to playing in only 36 games played during the2019–20 season.[9] Texier finished with six goals and seven assists in the regular season. Returning to the Blue Jackets for the NHL's return-to-play and playoffs, Texier registered four assists in 10 postseason games.
With the following2020–21 season delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Texier was originallyloaned to join his former Finnish club, KalPa, on 8 September 2020.[10] Due to personal reasons, he opted to cancel his loan and return on loan to hometown clubBrûleurs de Loups of the Ligue Magnus until the resumption of the NHL on 5 October 2020.[11]
For the 2022–23 season, the Blue Jackets loaned Texier toZSC Lions of the SwissNational League.[12]
On 28 June 2024, the Blue Jackets traded Texier to theSt. Louis Blues for a 4th-round pick in the2025 NHL entry draft; Texier subsequently signed a two-year, $4.2 million extension with the Blues.[13]
The Blues placed Texier on unconditional waivers on November 22 for the purpose of terminating his contract.[14] He subsequently cleared waivers the following day, becoming a free agent;[15] several hours later, he was signed to a one-year contract by theMontreal Canadiens.[16]
Texier has played internationally for France at the junior and senior level. At the2017 U18 World Championship he helped theFrench under-18 team win the tournament, earning promotion to the elite division for the first time in their history.[17] Texier recorded five points in five games, and was named the tournament's top forward.[18][19]
He was expected to make his debut for theFrench senior team at the2017 World Championship, which was co-hosted inParis andCologne, but a shoulder injury kept him out.[20] He played the following year for the senior team at the2018 World Championship, becoming the third-youngest player in the tournament.[21] He joined the French national team for the2019 World Championship in which the France got relegated to Division I A after losing all of its seven games.
Texier's father, Fabrice, was also an ice hockey player, and introduced his son to the sport. Fabrice played four games in the1986–87 QMJHL season with theLaval Titan, spending the rest of his career in France, mainly with the Brûleurs de Loups.[22]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2013–14 | Brûleurs de Loups | FRA U18 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Brûleurs de Loups | FRA U18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 32 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 2015–16 | Brûleurs de Loups | FRA U18 | 17 | 40 | 30 | 70 | 26 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | Brûleurs de Loups | FRA U22 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Brûleurs de Loups | FRA | 40 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 69 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | KalPa | Liiga | 53 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 38 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25 | ||
| 2018–19 | KalPa | Liiga | 55 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2019–20 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 36 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Brûleurs de Loups | FRA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 49 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 36 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | ZSC Lions | NL | 46 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 78 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 31 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 240 | 40 | 51 | 91 | 94 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | France | WJC18 D1A | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | |
| 2016 | France | WJC18 D1A | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2017 | France | WJC D1A | 5 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2017 | France | WJC18 D1A | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2018 | France | WJC D1A | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2018 | France | WC | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |
| 2019 | France | WC | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2021 | France | OGQ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | France | WC | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2023 | France | WC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | |
| 2024 | France | OGQ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025 | France | WC | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 25 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 36 | |||
| Senior totals | 38 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 55 | |||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Ligue Magnus | ||
| Jean-Pierre Graff Trophy | 2017 | |
| Coupe de France | 2017 | |