Matthew Poitras (/ˈpɒtjrɑː/; born March 10, 2004) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
| Matt Poitras | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Poitras with the Boston Bruins in 2023 | |||
| Born |
March 10, 2004 Ajax, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Boston Bruins Providence Bruins (AHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
54th overall, 2022 Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 2023–present | ||
Playing career
editAmateur
editPoitras was drafted by the Guelph Storm 12th overall in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. However, his first season with the team was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In the 2022–23 season, Poitras ended the regular season tied for 5th most total points in the league, with 95. He was named OHL Player of the Week on November 21, 2022.[1]
Poitras was drafted 54th overall in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins.[2]
Professional
editBoston Bruins
editOn April 14, 2023, the Providence Bruins announced that they had signed Poitras to an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[3] However, Poitras did not appear in any games with the club for the remainder of the season, regular season or playoffs. On May 5, 2023, the Boston Bruins announced that they had signed Poitras to a three-year, entry-level contract.[4]
Poitras impressed in his first preseason with the Bruins, and as a result, earned a spot on the NHL roster as a 19-year old.[5] Poitras earned his first NHL point in his first NHL game, an assist on a goal by Trent Frederic. Poitras scored his first and second NHL goals on October 22, 2023, in a 3–1 win against the Anaheim Ducks.[6] On October 31, the Bruins announced that Poitras was staying on the NHL roster rather than sending him back to the OHL, therefore burning a year of his entry-level contract.[7]
On December 18, 2023, the Bruins announced that they had loaned Poitras to Team Canada for the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[8] Poitras registered two goals and two assists in five games in the tournament, as Canada finished 5th in the standings. Poitras returned to the NHL club on January 6, 2024.
On January 9, 2024, just three games after returning to the NHL lineup, Poitras exited a game late against the Arizona Coyotes with a shoulder injury.[9] Poitras would return to game action on January 20, but would only play three more games before the Bruins announced on February 7 that Poitras had undergone shoulder surgery and would miss the rest of the season. [10] Poitras ended his rookie season with five goals and 15 total points in 33 games.
Personal
editPoitras is the second of three children born to Phil and Tricia Poitras. His older brother, Adam, is a lacrosse player for the Maryland Whipsnakes of the Premier Lacrosse League, and was selected second overall by the Las Vegas Desert Dogs in the 2023 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, while his younger sister, Abby, is committed to play hockey at Merrimack College.[11]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2019–20 | Whitby Wildcats U18 AAA | ETAHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Guelph Storm | OHL | 68 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 58 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23 | Guelph Storm | OHL | 63 | 16 | 79 | 95 | 40 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 33 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 33 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Canada | WJC | 5th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||||
References
edit- ^ Cavalieri, Elaine (November 22, 2022). "Poitras Earns OHL Player of the Week Honors". NHL.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ "Bruins take center Matthew Poitras with their top pick in 2022 NHL Draft - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ Bruins, Providence. "PROVIDENCE BRUINS SIGN MATTHEW POITRAS TO AMATEUR TRYOUT AGREEMENT | Providence Bruins". www.providencebruins.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ "Boston Bruins sign prospect Matthew Poitras to entry-level deal". TSN. May 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ Ryan, Conor (October 5, 2023). "Bruins' Matthew Poitras stamps roster spot as preseason wraps". Boston.com.
- ^ Arritt, Dan (October 23, 2023). "Poitras scores 1st 2 NHL goals, Bruins rally past Ducks to stay undefeated". NHL. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ Shilton, Kristen (October 31, 2023). "No minor move: Rookie Poitras stays with Bruins". ESPN.
- ^ Peters, Chris (December 18, 2023). "2024 World Juniors: Boston Bruins Loan Matt Poitras To Team Canada Roster". FloHockey.
- ^ Rosenthal, Tim (January 17, 2024). "Matthew Poitras 'won't shy away' after junior stint and return from injury". BruinsDaily.
- ^ Clark, Ryan (February 7, 2024). "Bruins' Matthew Poitras out for season after shoulder surgery". ESPN.
- ^ Shinzawa, Fluto. "Inside Bruins rookie Matt Poitras' rise in Guelph, one Temptation at a time". The Athletic. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database