Philippe Maillet

Lore & Background

Maillet began his youth hockey career with the Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix of the Ligue de hockey Midget AAA du Québec, where he set the franchise record for most assists in a season with 34 in 2008–09. He was drafted by the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but requested to stay in midget AAA to develop. After a brief stint with the Tigres, he played three seasons in the QMJHL, leading the team in scoring each year and recording 83 points in 65 games during his final junior season.

Maillet attended the University of New Brunswick, playing for the UNB Varsity Reds from 2013 to 2017. He led the team in scoring as a rookie, won the AUS Rookie of the Year award, and later earned AUS MVP honors. In his senior season, he recorded a conference-leading 55 points and won the U Sports University Cup national championship, being named tournament MVP. He concluded his collegiate career with 166 points in 101 games.

After college, Maillet signed an amateur tryout with the Ontario Reign of the AHL and later signed a standard contract with the Reign. He recorded a career-high 54 points in 68 games in the 2018–19 season, attracting interest from the Washington Capitals. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Capitals on July 1, 2019, and spent the 2019–20 season with their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, recording 44 points in 61 games. He was invited to the Capitals' return-to-play camp in July 2020 but did not appear in an NHL game for the team.

Reader's Guide

Philippe Maillet's significance lies in his path from undrafted junior player to NHL organization member, achieved through consistent scoring at every level. His record-setting assist total in midget AAA and his leadership of the Victoriaville Tigres in scoring for three seasons established him as a productive junior player. At the University of New Brunswick, Maillet became one of the most decorated players in U Sports history, winning multiple conference and national awards, including the U Sports Player of the Year and the tournament MVP in his final season. His 166 points in 101 collegiate games demonstrated his offensive ability.

Maillet's professional career began with the Ontario Reign, where he improved each season and earned a two-way contract with the Washington Capitals. Although he did not play in the NHL for Washington, his signing represented the culmination of his undrafted journey. After leaving the Capitals organization, Maillet played in the KHL for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, then returned to North America with the Montreal Canadiens organization, leading the Laval Rocket in goals. He later moved to Switzerland, playing for HC Ambrì-Piotta and then SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. His career illustrates the viability of the university hockey route as a path to professional hockey.

Did You Know?

• He won the U Sports Player of the Year Award and the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan trophy in 2017.
• Maillet recorded his first professional hat-trick in a 5–4 overtime win against the Tucson Roadrunners.
• He signed a two-year, two-way $700,000 contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2019.

From Midget AAA to Major Junior: Forging a Path

Born in Lachenaie, Quebec, in November 1992, Philippe Maillet first made his mark in the QMAAA with the Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix, where his 34-assist campaign in 2008–09 set a franchise record that stood until 2011–12. Though drafted by the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, he asked to remain in midget AAA for another year to continue developing. That decision paid off: after a brief four-game stint producing 10 points back with the Phénix and a three-game, one-goal trial with the Tigres, the club committed him for the rest of 2009–10. Maillet later explained his philosophy, noting that competing against stronger opponents pushed him to evolve faster and sharpened his game awareness. Over the next three seasons he steadily climbed, finishing 2010–11 with a career-high 69 points in 67 games after stepping into a larger role following the departure of captain Philip-Michael Devos. By 2012–13, his final major-junior year, he led the Tigres with 83 points in 65 games before an ankle injury in the QMJHL playoffs ended his postseason run against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

A Four-Year Masterclass at New Brunswick

From 2013 to 2017, Maillet anchored the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. His impact was immediate: fifteen points in his first twelve games set the tone, and he closed his rookie year as the Reds' top scorer, finishing third in the Atlantic University Sport conference with 41 points. That earned him the A.J. MacAdam Trophy as AUS Rookie of the Year along with Second Team All-Star and All-Rookie honours. The following campaign saw him lead the entire AUS with 39 points in 28 games, guiding New Brunswick to the 2015 CIS University Cup final before falling to Alberta. His play secured the Kelly Trophy as league MVP and a First Team All-Star nod. Though an injury limited him to 17 games in 2015–16, the Reds still captured the CIS title without him. His final season was a breakout: a conference-leading 55 points, the W.J. "Danny" McLeod Award as tournament MVP, the U Sports Player of the Year honour, the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy, UNB's Male Athlete of the Year, and the national Top Male University Athlete title. He finished his collegiate run with 166 points in 101 games.

Undrafted but Unstoppable: The Professional Climb

Undrafted by any NHL team, Maillet's professional journey began on March 27, 2017, when he signed an Amateur Tryout agreement with the Ontario Reign of the AHL just days after winning the University Cup. His debut on March 31 produced his first pro goal in a 3–1 win over Bakersfield, and by April 12 he had recorded his first multi-point game in a 3–2 overtime victory over Stockton. The 2017–18 season saw him set new career highs in goals, assists, and points, prompting the Reign to upgrade his ATO to a standard player contract in July 2018. His final season with Ontario, 2018–19, was electrifying: he scored his first career hat-trick in a 5–4 overtime win over Tucson and followed it with a second hat-trick in a 7–6 shootout victory over San Diego within the same month. He finished with a career-high 54 points in 68 games, drawing the attention of the Washington Capitals, who signed him to a two-year, two-way $700,000 deal on July 1, 2019. With the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, he tallied 44 points in 61 games before the pandemic halted play, and he was invited to Washington's return-to-play camp in July 2020.

Crossing Borders: A Career Shaped by Resilience

After two prolific seasons in Russia with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, Maillet returned to North America as a free agent on July 1, 2023, signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens. His path to that point had taken him far from his hometown of Lachenaie, Quebec, where he was born in November 1992 to firefighter Mario Maillet and consultant Line Richard. The journey from a small-town midget AAA programme to the NHL's top league, through the AHL, the KHL, and back again, underscores the resilience of a player who was never drafted by an NHL team. He first left North America in June 2021, signing a one-year deal with Magnitogorsk after two seasons in the Capitals organization. Now playing for the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League, Maillet continues to compete at the professional level well into his early thirties, a testament to the steady, self-directed development he championed as a teenager when he chose to stay in midget AAA rather than jump straight into major junior.

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