Mathieu Perreault

Mathieu Perreault (born January 5, 1988) is a Canadian former ice hockey winger.

He played for the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL), and for HIFK of the SM-liiga (SM-l).

Prior to turning professional, Perreault played three seasons of major junior hockey with the Acadie–Bathurst Titan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

In his final year in the QMJHL, he won the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the league's top point-producer and was named to the Second-Team All-Star.

Perreault was born on January 5, 1988, in Drummondville, Quebec.

He started skating at age 4 with his older brother, and his father took them to outdoor rinks to practice.

His mother's brother Daniel Marois was a National Hockey League (NHL) player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New York Islanders.

His cousin, Nick Marois, also played for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Perreault said while growing up he was inspired by Daniel Brière due to their similar height.

Perreault played the entirety of his minor ice hockey career in Drummondville, Quebec.

His father coached him while he was playing at the Atom level and he won the Rock Forest novice tournament three years in a row.

While playing midget hockey, he was called up to play in the International Midget hockey tournament for Cantonniers de Magog after a player suffered an injury.

As a youth, Perreault played in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Drummondville Voltigeurs minor ice hockey team.

Perreault concluded his minor ice hockey career after being drafted second overall by the Acadie–Bathurst Titan in the 2005 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Entry Draft.

He played his first major junior season in 2005–06, recording 18 goals and 34 assists while playing on the Titan's second line.

While with the Jets, Perreault became one of three players drafted after the second round in 2006 to reach 600 games.

As a result of his play, Perreault was the recipient of a 2006 RDS mid-season rookie excellence award which included an education bursary of $1,000.

As the Titan qualified for the 2006 QMJHL playoffs, Perreault scored 10 goals with 11 assists in 17 games before being eliminated by the Quebec Remparts.

After his rookie season, Perreault was drafted in the sixth round, 177th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.

Perreault returned to the Titan for his sophomore season and recorded a new career-high 41 goals and 78 assists in 67 games.

As a result of his play, he was selected to try-out for the Canadian men's national junior ice hockey team but failed to qualify.

Upon returning to the QMJHL, he was selected for the QMJHL First-Team All-Star and received the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as League MVP after finishing third in the overall scoring.

Perreault then began his professional career during the 2007–08 season, playing with the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, and helping them clinch the 2009 Calder Cup.

As the Titans qualified for the 2007 QMJHL playoffs where Perreault recorded six goals and eight assists before the team was eliminated in their second-round series.

Although he had yet to sign a contract with the Capitals, Perreault was invited to attend their 2007 training camp prior to their 2007–08 season.

In his final year in the QMJHL, he won the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the league's top point-producer and was named to the league Second-Team All-Star.

On March 28, 2008, Perreault signed an entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals for the following season and was re-assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Perreault remained with the Bears for the 2008–09 season, helping them win the Calder Cup.

While playing on a line with Oskar Osala and Francois Bouchard, he recorded his first career AHL goal in his first regular-season game on October 8, 2008.

He finished the season with 11 goals and 39 assists in 77 games, including five power play goals.

The following season, Perreault split his time between the AHL and NHL, playing 56 games for the Bears and 21 for the Capitals.

Although he was re-assigned to the AHL to begin the season, he was recalled from the Bears as a result of several injuries to the Capitals lineup.

At the time of his recall, Perreault had recorded one goal and six assists in 11 games.

He made his NHL debut on November 4, 2009, against the New Jersey Devils and recorded two assists in the 3–2 loss.

In the third game of his call up, Perreault scored his first NHL goal, which came in the third period against Scott Clemmensen of the Florida Panthers at the Verizon Center.

The goal proved to be the spark that the Capitals needed after being down 3–2; the team ended up winning 7–4.

Perreault once-again split his time during the 2010–11 season between the AHL and NHL, playing 34 games for the Bears and 35 for the Capitals.

Perreault remained with the Capitals organization until the 2013–14 season when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks.

During his one season with the team, Perreault set new career highs in goals, assists, and points.

Following the season, he joined the Winnipeg Jets as a free agent.