Maxime Talbot
Scored both goals in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.
Maxime Talbot is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, and Boston Bruins. He is best known for scoring both of the Penguins' goals in the deciding game seven of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings, securing Pittsburgh's championship.
Born on February 11, 1984, Talbot was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins 234th overall in the 2002 NHL entry draft out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He captained the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups and won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP both years. In the QMJHL, he was selected by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the first round of the 2000 draft but was traded to the Hull Olympiques for Alexandre Giroux. As a rookie, he put up 37 points combined between the two teams. Named captain before the 2002–03 season, he posted a major junior career-high 46 goals and 104 points in 69 games, earning QMJHL Second All-Star Team honours. That playoffs, he led the league with 44 points in 20 games, winning the championship and the Guy Lafleur Trophy. The Olympiques lost the 2003 Memorial Cup final 6–3 to the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. The following season, with the team now the Gatineau Olympiques, Talbot finished third in QMJHL scoring with 98 points (25 goals, 73 assists) in 51 games. He led the team to a second straight QMJHL title, again leading the playoffs in scoring and winning playoff MVP—the first player to earn back-to-back Guy Lafleur Trophies since Marc Saumier in 1987 and 1988. The Olympiques lost the Memorial Cup final again, 2–1 to the WHL's Kelowna Rockets.
Talbot signed with the Penguins for the 2004–05 season and made his professional debut with their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Playing in various roles, he finished with 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 75 games. After a strong training camp, he made the Penguins' opening roster for 2005–06 and debuted against the New Jersey Devils. His first NHL goal came on October 14, 2005, from centre ice against the Philadelphia Flyers. Primarily a penalty killer as a rookie, he was sent down to the AHL after 48 NHL games, recording eight points (5 goals, 3 assists). He did not start the 2006–07 season in the NHL but was recalled on October 24, 2006, playing that night against New Jersey.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1984-02-11
- Birth Place
- LeMoyne, Quebec, Canada
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 11
- Weight Lb
- 186
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Pittsburgh Penguins / Philadelphia Flyers / Ilves / Colorado Avalanche / Boston Bruins / Lokomotiv Yaroslavl / Avangard Omsk
- Draft
- 234th overall
- Draft Year
- 2002
- Draft Team
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Career Start
- 2005
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Talbot played major junior hockey for the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques, leading them to back-to-back President's Cups and winning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP both years. He was drafted 234th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2002. After a rookie season focused on penalty killing, he became a key role player, scoring four short-handed goals in 2006–07. In the 2008 playoffs, he scored a tying goal with 35 seconds left in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit, forcing triple overtime. The following year, he scored both Penguins goals in a 2–1 Game 7 victory over the same opponent to win the Stanley Cup. Talbot later played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, and Boston Bruins, and finished his career with three seasons in the KHL for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Avangard Omsk.
Reader's Guide
Talbot's legacy is defined by his clutch performance in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, where he scored the only two goals for Pittsburgh in a 2–1 Game 7 win over the Detroit Red Wings. This moment secured the Penguins' third Stanley Cup championship and remains the signature achievement of his NHL career. Beyond that, he was a reliable two-way forward who played significant minutes on the penalty kill and occasionally provided offensive contributions, as shown by his career-high 34 points with the Flyers in 2011–12. He also appeared in television commercials in Pittsburgh, including for A&L Motor Sales, which earned him the nickname 'Superstar'. Talbot's career spanned 11 NHL seasons and included a trade from the Flyers to the Avalanche in 2013, where he scored his first goal for Colorado in a 3–2 win over the Calgary Flames. He later played in the KHL before retiring.
Did You Know?
- Talbot was named team captain of the Hull Olympiques before the 2002–03 season.
- He earned the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP in back-to-back years (2003 and 2004).
- Talbot called Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin 'a real douche' during a 2011 radio interview.
- He married Canadian former figure skating champion Cynthia Phaneuf on July 11, 2014.
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