Pouliot grew up in St. Isidore, Ontario, playing minor ice hockey for his hometown St. Isidore Eagles, where he was coached by his father Sylvain. Pouliot was later promoted to the AA Eastern Ontario Cobras of the ODMHA where he played up until the Bantam age level. He played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Eastern Ontario team..He also saw time in Jr.B. with Les Castors de Clarence Creek.[citation needed]\n', '

Pouliot was later drafted in the 11th round, 207th overall, by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)\'s Sudbury Wolves in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection after playing for the Cobras. The following season, he was reassigned to the Hawkesbury Hawks Jr.A. club of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), a team his father had previously played for.[citation needed]\n', '

In his first year, Pouliot won the Emms Family Award as the OHL\'s top rookie for 2004–05. On July 30, 2005, after his first full season of major junior hockey, he was drafted fourth overall by the Minnesota Wild at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Later that year, he was also named to the Canadian junior team that ultimately won the gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished the 2005–06 season with 65 points in 51 games, including 35 goals.[citation needed]\n', '

Return to Benoit Pouliot Autograph Profile