Matthew Poitras was born on March 10, 2004, in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. In 2018-19, Poitras played for the Whitney Wildcats U-15 team in the ETAHL. In 16 games, the young center scored eight goals with six assists and 39 penalty minutes. Poitras became captain of the U-16 team the following year and sparkled with 26 goals and a league-leading 42 assists in 36 games. Then, as happened to many young hockey players, COVID-19 shut down his hockey season in 2020-21 and delayed his arrival as a Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League member.
Drafted in the first round, 12th Overall in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection Draft, center Matthew Poitras became a key cog for the Guelph Storm during his rookie season. He made up for lost time by putting up 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points in 68 regular-season games. Poitras also added one goal and three assists for four points in five playoff games while being one of the top players for Guelph. Unfortunately, the Storm fell in the first round of the OHL Playoffs, losing in five games to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Poitras also played for Team Red at the 2022 CHL Top Prospects Game.
Matthew Poitras Drafted 54th Overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2022 NHL Draft
The Boston Bruins selected Poitras in the second round of the 2022 draft, the 20th center chosen. Dobber Prospects described Poitras as a “hard-working two-way forward with the skill to capitalize on opposing mistakes. Already displays a lot of pro-level habits and projects as a reliable NHL forward with secondary scoring ability”. The Hockey Writers Draft Guide had this to say about Poitras, “coaches at any level will love his work ethic. He has a “won’t be outworked” mentality that will translate to both ends of the ice. That mentality couples with the two-way awareness that gives him strong anticipation defensively and allows him to use his stick to break up plays and intercept passes”.
The 2022-23 season ended with Poitras and the Guelph Storm losing their first-round series to the Sarnia Sting in six games. Poitras had one goal and four assists in the series. During the regular season, Poitras was one of the top players in the league with 16 goals and 79 assists, two helpers shy of a franchise record. The playmaking center was nominated for the Red Tilson Award as the league’s Most Outstanding Player. At the team’s awards banquet, Matt Poitras took home the Top Scorer Award, Owen’s Corning Tony Camilleri Playmaker Award, and the Paul Fendley Memorial Scholastic Player of the Year Award.
Poitras’ NHL Debut To Today
At age 19, Poitras made the NHL roster with Boston and made an immediate impact. The skilled center could play the first nine games before burning the first year of his entry-level contract. On October 11, 2023, Poitras made his NHL debut and registered an assist in 14:50 of ice time. The Bruins were forced to keep him after playing much of his ice time as the second-line center for the nine games. Poitras scored his first two NHL goals on October 22, 2023. The rookie center will be in the mix for Calder Trophy consideration as the NHL’s top rookie if he remains in the lineup for full time.
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