Émile Poirier

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| alt =

| image = 2022-11-18 Eisbären Berlin gegen Iserlohn Roosters (Deutsche Eishockey-Liga 2022-23) by Sandro Halank–056.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| caption = Poirier with the Iserlohn Roosters in 2022

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|12|14}}

| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 200

| position = Right wing

| shoots = Left

| team = Free agent

| league =

| former_teams = Stockton Heat
Calgary Flames
Manitoba Moose
HC Košice
Dinamo Riga
Djurgårdens IF
Iserlohn Roosters
HC Slovan Bratislava

| draft = 22nd overall

| draft_year = 2013

| draft_team = Calgary Flames

| career_start = 2014

| career_end =

}}

Émile Poirier (born December 14, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He is currently a free agent. He was selected by the Calgary Flames in the first round, 22nd overall, at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

A native of Montreal, Poirier began his junior hockey career with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2011–12. He appeared in 67 games, scoring 15 goals and 40 points.{{cite web |url=http://theqmjhl.ca/roster/show/id/8455 |title=Emile Poirier statistics |publisher=Quebec Major Junior Hockey League |accessdate=2013-07-01}} Previously unheralded, Poirier improved to 70 points in 65 games in 2012–13; he was the team's scoring leader, 16 points ahead of his nearest teammate.{{cite web |last=Peterson |first=Torie |url=http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=676024 |title=Numerology: Emile Poirier |publisher=Calgary Flames Hockey Club |date=2013-07-01 |accessdate=2013-07-01}} He established himself as a top-40 prospect for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau placed him 39th in their final pre-draft list, and Poirier moved higher in the projections with a standout performance in the playoffs; he had ten points in ten playoff games, including six "highlight reel" goals.{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Don |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/Olympiques+star+Poirier+could+surprise+first+round+pick/8582725/story.html |title=Olympiques star Poirier could be a surprise first-round pick |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=2013-06-26 |accessdate=2013-07-01}}

Capable of playing at either the wing or at centre, Poirier is a fast skater, though he says his style is "not pretty".{{cite web |last=Mellas |first=Connor |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=676018#&navid=nhl-search |title=Rebuilding Flames use first-rounders on forwards |publisher=National Hockey League |date=2013-07-01 |accessdate=2013-07-01}} Describing his playing style, Poirier stated: "I love to play hard. I compete, got to the net hard and fight a little bit, too. I want to bring energy."{{cite news |last=Sportak |first=Randy |title=Pressure on Poirier, Klimchuk |work=Calgary Sun |date=2013-07-01 |page=S5}} He was invited to attend summer camp for the Canadian national junior team ahead of the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. At the draft, Poirier was selected in the first round by the Calgary Flames, 22nd overall.{{cite news |last=Cruickshank |first=Scott |title=Picks boiled down to best players available |work=Calgary Herald |date=2013-07-01 |page=C1}}

Returning to Gatineau, Poirier had his best season as a junior in 2013–14.{{cite news |last=Vickers |first=Aaron |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=705903 |title=Poirier has future in mind during QMJHL playoffs |publisher=National Hockey League |date=2014-02-25 |accessdate=2014-04-20}} He set career highs and led his team with 43 goals, 44 assists and 87 points to go along with a plus-minus rating of +30.{{cite web |url=http://theqmjhl.ca/stats/show/type/skaters/ls_season/175/ls_team/12 |title=Skaters, 2013–14, Gatineau Olympiques |publisher=Quebec Major Junior Hockey League |accessdate=2014-04-20}} He also signed an entry-level contract with the Flames, and joined Calgary's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat on an amateur try-out agreement after Gatineau was eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs.{{cite news |last=Sportak |first=Randy |title=Heat welcome Flames picks |work=Calgary Sun |date=2014-04-18 |page=S11}} Poirier scored a goal in his first professional game,{{cite news |url=http://www.abbynews.com/sports/heat/news/255853091.html |title=Youngsters Poirier and Carr star as Heat blank Rampage 3-0 |work=Abbotsford News |date=2014-04-19 |accessdate=2014-04-20}} then added another to go with two assists in his second as the Heat prepared for the AHL playoffs.{{cite news |url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/Poirier+three+points+sees+Heat+finish+season+with+against+Stars/9756743/story.html |title=Poirier's three points sees Heat finish AHL season with 4-3 win against Stars |work=Vancouver Sun |date=2014-04-19 |accessdate=2014-04-20}} Following the season, the Flames announced that Poirier had played the year with a bad shoulder that required surgery.{{cite news |last=Cruickshank |first=Scott |url=https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/calgary-flames/Calgary+Flames+kicking+tires+high+price/9911818/story.html |title=Flames kicking tires but won't pay a high price to move up in NHL draft: Burke |work=Calgary Herald |date=2014-06-06 |accessdate=2014-11-03}}

Poirier missed the first month of the 2014–15 season while recovering. He was assigned to the AHL's Adirondack Flames when healthy and scored twice in his first game.{{cite news |last=Nearhos |first=Diana C. |url=http://poststar.com/blogs/flames/emile-poirier-shines-in-first-game/article_1b94ec0e-623f-11e4-a509-5f162b639f92.html |title=Emile Poirier shines in first game |work=Glens Falls Post-Star |date=2014-11-01 |accessdate=2014-11-03}} The 20-year-old forward scored 30 points in his first 42 games with Adirondack and was the youngest player in the AHL All-Star Game.{{cite news |last=Gilbertson |first=Wes |title=Poirier gets the call |work=Calgary Sun |date=2015-02-24 |page=S4}} He was recalled to Calgary on February 23, 2015, and made his NHL debut the following night in a 1–0 loss to the New York Rangers.{{cite news |last=Sportak |first=Randy |title=Poirier solid in NHL debut |work=Calgary Sun |date=2015-02-25 |page=S2}} Poirier recorded his first NHL point with an assist on a goal by Mikael Backlund on March 3, 2015, against the Philadelphia Flyers.{{cite news |last=Cruickshank |first=Scott |title=Flames survive lapses, top Flyers on Ramo's back |work=Calgary Herald |date=2015-03-04 |page=C1}}

After his fourth full season within the Flames organization, Poirier was released as a free agent when he was not tendered a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. Un-signed over the summer, Poirier without an NHL deal, accepted a professional try-out contract to begin the 2018–19 season, with the Manitoba Moose, affiliate to the Winnipeg Jets, on October 4, 2018.{{cite web| url = http://moosehockey.com/news/1819-opening-roster/ | title = Moose reveal opening day roster | publisher = Manitoba Moose | date = 2018-10-04 | accessdate = 2018-10-04}} Poirier was limited to just 24 games through injury, registering 8 points.

As a free agent following a full season with the Moose, Poirier was unable to secure a contract over the summer. Returning to attend the Manitoba Moose training camp, Poirier was signed to a professional tryout contract to begin the 2019–20 season on October 4th, 2019.{{Cite web| url = https://moosehockey.com/news/opening-roster-2019/ | title = Moose announce opening night roster | publisher = Manitoba Moose | date = October 4, 2019 | accessdate = October 4, 2019}}

After spending his first season abroad with the Slovakian club, HC Košice of the Slovak Extraliga, Poirier continued his career by moving to Latvian-based club, Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on a one-year deal on June 3, 2021.{{cite web | url = https://www.dinamoriga.lv/lv/zinas/kluba-zinas/dinamo-riga-speles-kanadiesu-uzbrucejs-emile-poirier | title = Canadian striker Poirier will play with Dinamo Riga | publisher = Dinamo Riga | language = Latvian | date = June 3, 2021 | accessdate = June 3, 2021 | archive-date = January 3, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220103131530/https://www.dinamoriga.lv/lv/zinas/kluba-zinas/dinamo-riga-speles-kanadiesu-uzbrucejs-emile-poirier | url-status = dead }} In the following 2021–22 season, Poirier made 39 regular season appearances with Dinamo, registering 9 goals and 18 points before leaving the club to close out the season with Swedish club, Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), on February 16, 2022.{{cite web| url = https://www.difhockey.se/artikel/s5wkakzop-1lead/centern-emile-poirier-till-djurgarden | title = Center Emile Poirier to Djurgårdens | publisher = Djurgårdens IF | language = Swedish | date = 16 February 2022 | accessdate = 16 February 2022}} He added 3 goals and 5 points through 11 games, however, was unable to prevent Djurgårdens IF from relegation to the Allsvenska.

On July 19, 2022, Poirier returned to North America after signing as a free agent to a one-year AHL contract with his hometown club, the Laval Rocket.{{cite web| url = https://www.rocketlaval.com/en/communique-en/rocket-agree-to-terms-on-a-one-year-two-way-ahl-contract-with-emile-poirier/ | title = Rocket agree to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with Emile Poirier | publisher = Laval Rocket | date = July 19, 2022 | accessdate = July 19, 2022}} After attending training camp, Poirier was unable to make the Rocket season-opening roster and was reassigned to ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions, before later opting to terminate his contract before the commencement of the 2022–23 season on October 20, 2022.{{cite web| url = https://twitter.com/RocketLaval/status/1583179330112192512?cxt=HHwWgICgsc7NyvgrAAAA | title = Rocket announce mutual termination of contract with Poirier | publisher = Twitter | author = Laval Rocket | date = October 20, 2022 | accessdate = October 20, 2022}}

On October 27, 2022, Poirier resumed his European career by signing a one-year contract with the German club, Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).{{cite web| url = https://iserlohn-roosters.de/2022/10/27/emile-poirier-wechselt-an-den-seilersee/ | title = Emile Poirier moves to Iserlohn | publisher = Iserlohn Roosters | date = October 27, 2022 | accessdate = October 27, 2022 | language = German}} In 2022–23 season, Poirier recorded 14 goals and 26 points in 40 regular season games. With Iserlohn missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, Poirier left the club after his contract on March 10, 2023.{{cite web| url = https://iserlohn-roosters.de/2023/03/10/ergebnisse-der-saisonabschlussgespraeche-3/ | title = Results of the end of season talks | publisher = Iserlohn Roosters | date = March 10, 2023 | accessdate = March 10, 2023 | language = German }}