Matthew Poitras (/ˈpɒtjrɑː/; born March 10, 2004) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Amateur
Poitras 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
Boston Bruins
On 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.
Coming off of injury, Poitras once again made the NHL opening night roster to start the 2024–25 season, however, a lingering injury caused him to be scratched for the Bruins opening night game.[11][12] After playing in 14 of the Bruins first 16 games, Poitras was demoted to the Providence Bruins on November 11, 2024, marking the first time in his professional career that he would be playing in the American Hockey League (AHL).[13] Poitras enjoyed a successful first stint with Providence, scoring eight goals and 12 assists in 23 games between November 15, 2024, and January 11, 2025. This included a streak in early December where he scored a goal in seven straight games.[14] This success, as well as injures to the NHL Bruins lineup, rewarded Poitras with a call-up to the NHL squad on January 14, 2025.[15] Poitras would return to the NHL with immediate impact, scoring an assist in his first game back.
Personal
Poitras 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.[16]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| 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
| 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Bruins Announce Opening Day Roster for 2024-25 Season | Boston Bruins". www.nhl.com. October 7, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ "Bruins' Matthew Poitras: Won't play Tuesday". CBSSports.com. October 7, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Ryan, Conor. "Are the Bruins making right call sending Poitras to Providence?". www.boston.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Dudek, Greg (December 19, 2024). "Matthew Poitras Positioning For Bruins Call-Up As Insane Hot Streak Continues". NESN.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Staff, Cup of Chowder (January 14, 2025). "Bruins recall Poitras and Callahan, place McAvoy and Kastelic on IR". Stanley Cup of Chowder. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Shinzawa, Fluto. "Inside Bruins rookie Matt Poitras' rise in Guelph, one Temptation at a time". The Athletic. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Matt Poitras profile and statistics at TheAHL.com