| Benoît Pouliot | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Pouliot with theBoston Bruins in 2012 | |||
| Born | (1986-09-29)September 29, 1986 (age 38) Alfred, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 193 lb (88 kg; 13 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Minnesota Wild Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning New York Rangers Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres | ||
| NHL draft | 4th overall,2005 Minnesota Wild | ||
| Playing career | 2006–2018 | ||
Medal record | |||
Benoît Robert Pouliot (born September 29, 1986) is aCanadian former professionalice hockeyleft winger who played for theBuffalo Sabres of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL with theMinnesota Wild,Montreal Canadiens,Boston Bruins,Tampa Bay Lightning,New York Rangers and theEdmonton Oilers. Pouliot was originally drafted by the Wild fourth overall in the2005 NHL Entry Draft.
Pouliot grew up inSt. Isidore, Ontario, playingminor ice hockey for his hometown St. Isidore Eagles, where he was coached by his father Sylvain.[1] Pouliot was later promoted to the AA Eastern Ontario Cobras of theODMHA where he played up until the Bantam age level. He played in the 2000Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Eastern Ontario team.[2] He also saw time in Jr.B. with Les Castors de Clarence Creek.[citation needed]
Pouliot was later drafted in the 11th round, 207th overall, by theOntario Hockey League (OHL)'sSudbury Wolves in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection after playing for the Cobras.[1] The following season, he was reassigned to theHawkesbury Hawks Jr.A. club of theCanadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), a team his father had previously played for.[citation needed]
In his first year, Pouliot won theEmms Family Award as the OHL's top rookie for2004–05. On July 30, 2005, after his first full season ofmajor junior hockey, he was drafted fourth overall by theMinnesota Wild at the2005 NHL Entry Draft. Later that year, he was also named to theCanadian junior team that ultimately won thegold medal at the2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished the2005–06 season with 65 points in 51 games, including 35 goals.[citation needed]
Pouliot signed a tryout contract with Minnesota'sAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theHouston Aeros, on April 28, 2006, playing there for two games in the team's SemifinalCalder Cup playoff series against theMilwaukee Admirals. He was then signed professionally to the Wild on May 1. He made his NHL debut later in the year, on November 22, against theMontreal Canadiens, after which he would return to the Aeros until March 15, 2008.[3]
Pouliot scored his first two career NHL goals for Minnesota againstCalgary Flames on March 22, 2008, though the Wild still lost the game, 5–4.[4]
Pouliot later was placed on the2008–09 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 theMontreal Canadiens in exchange forGuillaume Latendresse.[5]
On July 1, 2011, Pouliot signed as a free agent with theBoston Bruins on a one-year, $1.1 million contract.[6] On June 23, 2012, as a pending unrestricted free agent, Pouliot's rights were traded to theTampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forwardMichel Ouellet and a fifth- round draft pick (131st overall) used later that day at the2012 NHL Entry Draft to selectSeth Griffith. Two days later, Pouliot signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract extension with the Lightning.[citation needed]
On July 5, 2013, again as a free agent, Pouliot signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with theNew York Rangers.[citation needed]
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 theEdmonton Oilers on July 1, 2014.[7] During his first season with the Oilers in the2014–15 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.[8]
Despite the Oilers returning to the playoffs after a 10-year hiatus in the2016–17 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.[8]
On July 1, 2017, Pouliot was promptly signed by the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent, to a one-year $1.15 million deal.[9]
Pouliot's younger brother, Hugo, played for the sameHawkesbury Hawks 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 fromleukemia.[10][1]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Clarence Beavers | EOJHL | 38 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 86 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2002–03 | Hawkesbury Hawks | CJHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Hawkesbury Hawks | CJHL | 45 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 85 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 10 | ||
| 2003–04 | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 67 | 29 | 36 | 65 | 102 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 20 | ||
| 2005–06 | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 51 | 35 | 30 | 65 | 141 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 16 | ||
| 2005–06 | Houston Aeros | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 67 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 46 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 67 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 37 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 30 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 28 | ||
| 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 39 | 15 | 9 | 24 | 31 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 79 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 87 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 2011–12 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 74 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 38 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 34 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 56 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 26 | ||
| 2014–15 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 58 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 55 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 67 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 34 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 74 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 146 | 39 | 48 | 87 | 200 | 25 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 32 | ||||
| NHL totals | 625 | 130 | 133 | 263 | 371 | 67 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 49 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Canada | WJC |  | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | |
| Junior totals | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | ||||
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| OHL | |
| First All-Rookie Team | 2005 |
| Second All-Star Team | 2005 |
| Emms Family Award | 2005 |
| CHL Rookie of the Year | 2005 |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | OHL Rookie of the Year 2004–05 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | CHL Rookie of the Year 2004–05 | Succeeded by John Tavares |
| Preceded by | Minnesota Wild first round draft pick 2005 | Succeeded by |
