Benoît Pouliot

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team = Minnesota Wild
league = NHL
position = Left Wing
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 3
weight_lb = 199
prospect_team =
prospect_league =
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date and age|1986|9|29
birth_place = Alfred, ON, CAN
draft = 4th overall
draft_year = 2005
draft_team = Minnesota Wild
career_start = 2006

Benoît Pouliot (born September 29, 1986 in Alfred, Ontario) is an ice hockey player.

Pouliot grew up in St. Isidore, Ontario. He played for his hometown team, the St-Isidore Eagles, where he was coached by his father Sylvain. He was later promoted to the AA group regional team of Eastern Ontario Cobras. After a short stint in Junior B with Les Castors de Clarence Creek, he played for the CJHL, as had his father, Sylvain.

His brothers are also hockey players -- David is a defenceman with the St-Isidore Junior C Eagles and Hugo played for the Hawkesbury Hawks. In 2005, Hugo led them to the CJHL championship, the Fred Page Cup. Now Hugo Plays for the Alexandria Jr.B Glens, and the Glens went to win the EOJBHL championship.

The day after Pouliot scored his first-ever OHL goal, his father died from leukemia. [ [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/05/25/1055161.html The son also rises - Slam Sports] ]

Pouliot won the Emms Family Award as the OHL's top rookie for the 2004–05 season. On July 30, 2005, he was drafted fourth overall by the Minnesota Wild. He was a member of the Canadian team that won the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished the 2005–06 season with 65 points in 51 games including 35 goals.

He was signed to a tryout contract with Minnesota's AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, on April 28 and he played there for two games of their semi-final Calder Cup playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals, the farm team of the Nashville Predators. Pouliot was then signed to the Wild on May 1, 2006 and made his NHL debut on November 22, 2006 against the Montreal Canadiens.

Pouliot scored his first two NHL goals for Minnesota against Calgary Flames on March 22, 2008, but the Wild still lost the match 4–5. [ [http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20072008/ES021132.HTM Event summary - NHL.com] ]

Career statistics

References