Benoît Pouliot Explained

Benoît Pouliot
Nickname:horrible
Birth Date:29 September 1986
Birth Place:Alfred, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lb:193
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Played For:Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Boston Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning
New York Rangers
Edmonton Oilers
Buffalo Sabres
Draft:4th overall
Draft Year:2005
Draft Team:Minnesota Wild
Career Start:2006
Career End:2018

Benoît Robert Pouliot (born September 29, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers. Pouliot was originally drafted by the Wild fourth overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Amateur

Pouliot grew up in St. Isidore, Ontario, playing minor 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 the ODMHA where he played up until the Bantam age level. He played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Eastern Ontario team.[2] 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 (OHL)'s Sudbury Wolves in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection after playing for the Cobras.[1] The following season, he was reassigned to the Hawkesbury Hawks Jr.A. club of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), a team his father had previously played for.

In his first year, Pouliot won the Emms Family Award as the OHL's top rookie for 2004–05. On July 30, 2005, after his first full season of major junior hockey, he was drafted fourth overall by the Minnesota Wild at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Later that year, he was also named to the Canadian junior team that ultimately won the gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. 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 (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros, on April 28, 2006, playing there for two games in the team's Semifinal Calder Cup playoff series against the Milwaukee 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 the Montreal Canadiens, after which he would return to the Aeros until March 15, 2008.[3]

Pouliot scored his first two career NHL goals for Minnesota against Calgary Flames on March 22, 2008, though the Wild still lost the game, 5–4.[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 in exchange for Guillaume Latendresse.[5]

On July 1, 2011, Pouliot signed as a free agent with the Boston 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 the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Michel Ouellet and a fifth- round draft pick (131st overall) used later that day at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to select Seth Griffith. 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.

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 on July 1, 2014.[7] 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.[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]

Personal

Pouliot's younger brother, Hugo, played for the same Hawkesbury 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 from leukemia.[10] [1]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2002–03Clarence BeaversEOJHL381317308650228
2002–03Hawkesbury HawksCJHL11010
2003–04Hawkesbury HawksCJHL45212142856371010
2003–04Sudbury WolvesOHL4224042130
2004–05Sudbury WolvesOHL6729366510212681420
2005–06Sudbury WolvesOHL513530651418831116
2005–06Houston AerosAHL20002
2006–07Houston AerosAHL67191736109
2006–07Minnesota WildNHL30000
2007–08Houston AerosAHL461014246730002
2007–08Minnesota WildNHL11213010000
2008–09Minnesota WildNHL37561118
2008–09Houston AerosAHL3091524202017828
2009–10Minnesota WildNHL1422412
2009–10Montreal CanadiensNHL391592431180226
2009–10Hamilton BulldogsAHL31234
2010–11Montreal CanadiensNHL791317308730007
2011–12Boston BruinsNHL741616323871126
2012–13Tampa Bay LightningNHL348122015
2013–14New York RangersNHL801521365625551026
2014–15Edmonton OilersNHL5819153428
2015–16Edmonton OilersNHL5514223630
2016–17Edmonton OilersNHL67861434130004
2017–18Buffalo SabresNHL741361922
AHL totals1463948872002517832
NHL totals62513013326337167681449

International

Awards and honours

AwardYear
OHL
First All-Rookie Team 2005
Second All-Star Team2005
Emms Family Award2005
CHL Rookie of the Year2005

Notes and References

  1. News: Joyce. Gare. [Benoit Pouliot's dad never got a chance to see his son in the NHL] Change Of Heart]. September 20, 2016. ESPN. June 6, 2005.
  2. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-02-14. 2019-03-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf. dead.
  3. Web site: Macdonald. James. WILD GAMEDAY - March 15, 2008. NHL.com. NHL. 2 October 2013.
  4. Web site: NHL Event Summary . NHL.com . 2008-03-22 . 2008-10-31.
  5. Web site: Canadiens trade Latendresse for Pouliot . . 2008-11-23 . 2008-11-23.
  6. Web site: Bruins sign free agent Benoit Pouliot . . 2011-07-01 . 2011-07-01.
  7. Web site: Oilers sign Pouliot, Fayne . . 2014-07-01 . 2014-07-01.
  8. News: Benoit Pouliot wears out his welcome with Oilers, headed for buy-out . . 2017-06-29 . 2017-06-29.
  9. News: Sabres sign Left wing Benoit Pouliot . . 2017-07-01 . 2017-07-01.
  10. Web site: The son also rises . https://archive.today/20120524181516/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/05/25/1055161.html. usurped. May 24, 2012. Slam Sports . 2005-05-25 . 2008-10-31.