{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 2002)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox ice hockey biography | name = Xavier Bourgault | image = Xavier Bourgault with the Belleville Senators in 2025.jpg | image_size = | caption = Bourgault with the Belleville Senators in 2025 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|2002|10|22}} | birth_place = L'Islet, Quebec, Canada | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 172 | position = Forward | shoots = Right | league = NHL | team = Ottawa Senators | prospect_team = Belleville Senators | prospect_league = AHL | former_teams = | ntl_team = | draft = 22nd overall | draft_year = 2021 | draft_team = Edmonton Oilers | career_start = 2022 | career_end = }} '''Xavier Bourgault''' (born October 22, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 22nd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2021 NHL entry draft.
==Playing career== ===Amateur=== Bourgault was drafted by the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in the second round of the 2018 draft as a centre.<ref name="nugent">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3112810/2022/02/04/why-oilers-prospect-xavier-bourgault-is-a-player-that-everybody-wants-to-play-with/ |title=Why Oilers prospect Xavier Bourgault is ‘a player that everybody wants to play with’ |work=The Athletic |last=Nugent-Bowman |first=Daniel |date=February 4, 2022 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name="caron">{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/qmjhl/latest-news/oilers-trade-former-qmjhl-forward-xavier-bourgault-to-senators |title=Oilers Trade Former QMJHL Forward Xavier Bourgault to Senators |last=Caron |first=Raphael |work=The Hockey News |date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref> However, the Cataractes chose to move him to the wing to play alongside Mavrik Bourque.<ref name="nugent"/> Making his QMJHL debut with the Cataractes in 2018–19, Bourgault recorded 7 goals and 20 points in 62 games. In 2019–20, he increased his offensive output to 33 goals and 71 points in 63 games, for a 1.13 points per game rate. His points per game rate was raised yet again to 1.38 in 2020–21, as he recorded 20 goals and 40 points in a pandemic-shortened 29 games. Recording only six penalty minutes that season, he was named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the QMJHL's award for sportsmanship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/prospect-interest-elite-offensive-talent-xavier-bourgault/|title=Prospect of Interest: 'Elite' offensive talent Xavier Bourgault |first=Josh |last=Beneteau |website=Sportsnet |date=July 22, 2021 |access-date=July 24, 2021}}</ref> During the 2021–22 season, he had his best year with the Cataractes, scoring 36 goals and 75 points in 43 games.<ref name="hockeydb">{{cite web |url=https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=216525 |title=Xavier Bourgault |website=hockeydb.com |access-date=4 October 2024}}</ref> In the playoffs, Bourgault finished second on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 22 points, behind only Bourque, as the Cataractes won the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as league champions.<ref name="caron"/> The Cataractes made the 2022 Memorial Cup, but finished third in the four-team tournament, losing to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League in the semi-final.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34158910/hamilton-bulldogs-top-shawinigan-cataractes-clinching-berth-memorial-cup-title-game |title=Hamilton Bulldogs top Shawinigan Cataractes in overtime, clinching a berth in Memorial Cup title game |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=June 27, 2022 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref>
===Professional=== On July 23, 2021, Bourgault was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL) 22nd overall in the first round of 2021 NHL entry draft.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehockeywriters.com/oilers-xavier-bourgault-22nd-overall-pick-2021-nhl-draft// |title=Oilers Select Xavier Bourgault with the 22nd Overall Pick |first=Jordan |last=Jacklin |website=The Hockey Writers |date=July 23, 2021 |access-date=July 24, 2021}}</ref> Bourgault was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract on March 31, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/release-oilers-sign-bourgault-to-entry-level-contract/c-332478994 |title=Oilers sign Bourgault to entry-level contract |publisher=Edmonton Oilers |via=NHL.com |date=March 31, 2022 |access-date=March 31, 2022}}</ref> He was assigned to the Oilers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, for the 2022–23 season. In his AHL rookie season, he scored 13 goals and 34 points. He returned to Bakersfield for the 2023–24 season, but saw his offense decline, scoring only 8 goals and 20 points in 55 games.<ref name="caron"/>
On July 15, 2024, Bourgault was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with forward Jake Chiasson for forward Roby Järventie and a fourth-round draft pick in 2025.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/ottawa-senators-acquire-forwards-xavier-bourgault-and-jake-chiasson-from-edmonton/ | title = Ottawa Senators acquire forwards Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson from Edmonton | publisher = Ottawa Senators |via=NHL.com | date = July 15, 2024 | access-date = September 7, 2024}}</ref> He was assigned to Ottawa's AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, to begin the 2024–25 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/ottawa-senators-assign-20-players-to-belleville-senators |title=Ottawa Senators Assign 20 Players to Belleville Senators |work=The Hockey News |last=McGoey |first=Steve |date=September 27, 2024 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref> In his first season with Belleville, Bourgault added 12 goals and 26 points in 61 games.<ref name="hockeydb"/> He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract extension by Ottawa on July 21, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bellevillesens.com/bourgault-signing-2025/ |title=Bourgault back with Senators on one-year, two-way, NHL extension |publisher=Belleville Senators |date=July 21, 2025 |access-date=December 19, 2025}}</ref> He was assigned to Belleville to start the 2025–26 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/sens-assign-eight-to-belleville-camp |title=Sens assign eight to Belleville camp |publisher=Ottawa Senators |via=NHL.com |date=October 3, 2025 |access-date=December 19, 2025}}</ref> Bourgault was recalled to Ottawa on December 27, and made his NHL debut with Ottawa in a 7–5 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-overcome-senators-in-electric-battle-of-ontario/ |title=Maple Leafs overcome Senators in electric Battle of Ontario |website=Sportsnet |agency=The Canadian Press |date=December 27, 2025 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> He was sent back to Belleville and was recalled again on January 27, 2026.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/hockey/news/senators-xavier-bourgault-recalled-from-minors/ |title=Senators' Xavier Bourgault: Recalled from minors |work=CBS Sports |date=January 27, 2026 |access-date=May 12, 2026}}</ref> He appeared in one game with Ottawa before being sent back to the AHL.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/hockey/news/senators-xavier-bourgault-demoted-to-ahl-belleville/ |title=Senators' Xavier Bourgault: Demoted to AHL Belleville |work=CBS Sports |date=January 31, 2026 |access-date=May 12, 2026}}</ref> He finished the season with no points in the two games with Ottawa and 25 goals and 57 points in 70 appearances with Belleville.<ref name="hockeydb"/>
==International play== Bourgault was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in December 2021. He played in the opening game against Czechia and was struck in the head, causing him to leave the game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsn.ca/xavier-bourgault-team-canada-world-juniors-1.1739163 |title=Canada's Bourgault could miss time after hit to head |work=TSN |date=December 27, 2022 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref> However, the tournament was cancelled shortly afterwards before its completion due to the pandemic and the results were annulled.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/world-juniors/article/report-iihf-cancels-remainder-2022-world-juniors-due-covid-19/ |title=IIHF cancels remainder of 2022 world juniors due to COVID-19 |work=Sportsnet |date=December 29, 2021 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref> The tournament was restarted in August 2022, but Bourgault chose to skip it, preferring to focus on making the Oilers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edmontonsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/oilers-notes-no-regrets-on-skipping-world-juniors-for-bourgault |title=Oilers Notes: No regrets on skipping world juniors for Bourgault |last=Van Diest |first=Derek |work=Edmonton Sun |date=September 15, 2022 |access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2017–18 | Lévis Chevaliers | QMAAA | 38 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2018–19 | Shawinigan Cataractes | QMJHL | 62 || 7 || 13 || 20 || 12 | 6 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 |- | 2019–20 | Shawinigan Cataractes | QMJHL | 63 || 33 || 38 || 71 || 20 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2020–21 | Shawinigan Cataractes | QMJHL | 29 || 20 || 20 || 40 || 6 | 5 || 0 || 4 || 4 || 2 |- | 2021–22 | Shawinigan Cataractes | QMJHL | 43 || 36 || 39 || 75 || 20 | 16 || 12 || 10 || 22 || 10 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2022–23 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 62 || 13 || 21 || 34 || 16 | 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 |- | 2023–24 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 55 || 8 || 12 || 20 || 24 | 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2024–25 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 61 || 12 || 14 || 26 || 14 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2025–26 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 70 || 25 || 32 || 57 || 34 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2025–26 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" |NHL totals ! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2018 | Canada White | U17 | 6th | 5 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 0 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4" |Junior totals ! 5 !! 0 !! 2 !! 2 !! 0 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{icehockeystats}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | title = Edmonton Oilers' first-round draft pick | years = 2021 | before = Dylan Holloway | after = Reid Schaefer}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourgault, Xavier}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:Bakersfield Condors players Category:Belleville Senators players Category:Canadian ice hockey forwards Category:Edmonton Oilers draft picks Category:Ice hockey people from Chaudière-Appalaches Category:NHL first-round draft picks Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:Shawinigan Cataractes players Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen