Benoit-Olivier Groulx

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Benoit-Olivier Groulx

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|2|06}}

| birth_place = Rouen, Normandy, France

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 195

| position = Centre

| shoots = Left

| team = Toronto Maple Leafs

| league = NHL

| prospect_team = Hartford Wolf Pack

| prospect_league = AHL

| former_teams = Anaheim Ducks

| ntl_team =

| draft = 54th overall

| draft_year = 2018

| draft_team = Anaheim Ducks

| career_start = 2021

| career_end =

}}

Benoit-Olivier "Bo" Groulx (born February 6, 2000) is a French-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Groulx was drafted 54th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2018 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

=Junior hockey=

Groulx was selected first overall by the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in the 2016 QMJHL entry draft.{{cite web| url = https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/qmjhl-draft-opens-two-picks-mooseheads/| title = QMJHL draft opens with two picks by Mooseheads | work=Sportsnet |agency=The Canadian Press | date = June 4, 2016 | access-date = March 8, 2018}} In his first season with the club, he recorded 14 goals and 17 assists in 62 games. He also skated in six playoff games, scoring one goal and one assist; the Mooseheads were eliminated in the first round by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.{{cite web |title=Mooseheads season ends in Rouyn-Noranda |url=https://halifaxmooseheads.ca/article/mooseheads-season-ends-in-rouyn-noranda |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410201951/http://halifaxmooseheads.ca/article/mooseheads-season-ends-in-rouyn-noranda |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 10, 2017 |publisher=Halifax Mooseheads |access-date=April 3, 2017}} He returned to the Mooseheads for the 2018–19 season, where he recorded 30 goals and 80 points in 65 games. The Mooseheads won the 2019 QMJHL President's Cup championship series and went to the 2019 Memorial Cup. Groulx was named a tournament all-star after scoring one goal and four points in four games.{{cite web |title=Ducks Sign Groulx to Three-Year Entry-Level Contract |url=https://www.nhl.com/ducks/news/ducks-sign-groulx-to-three-year-entry-level-contract/c-309956762 |publisher=Anaheim Ducks |date=October 10, 2019 |access-date=October 10, 2019}} In his final season in the QMJHL, Groulx was named captain of the Mooseheads.{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/halifax/ducks-prospect-benoit-olivier-groulx-on-his-between-the-legs-goal-becoming-mooseheads-captain-and/article_c63102c5-c0dd-58d7-960c-d43478d4d404.html |title=Ducks prospect Benoit-Olivier Groulx on his between-the-legs goal, becoming Mooseheads captain and signing that first NHL contract |work=Toronto Star |last=Vohra |first=Ameeta |date=November 24, 2019 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} Groulx was traded from Halifax to the Moncton Wildcats for three draft picks on December 22, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6328791/mooseheads-trade-groulx/ |title=Halifax Mooseheads trade away captain for draft picks |work=Global News |last=Benjamin |first=Graeme |date=December 22, 2019 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} He finished the season with 78 points in 55 games with a plus-minus of plus 20. Groulx won the Guy Carbonneau Trophy as the 2019–20 QJMHL best defensive forward.{{cite web |url=https://www.rds.ca/hockey/lhjmq/lhjmq-le-trophee-guy-carbonneau-remis-a-benoit-olivier-groulx-1.7450406 |title=Le trophée Guy-Carbonneau remis à Benoit-Olivier Groulx |work=RDS |language=fr |date=May 1, 2020 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} He was also named the captain of the QMJHL team in the QMJHL–Russia series that took place in November 2019.{{cite web |url=https://chl.ca/lhjmq-mooseheads/article/bo-groulx-named-qmjhl-captain-for-canada-russia-series/ |title=BO Groulx named QMJHL Captain for Canada-Russia Series |publisher=Halifax Mooseheads |date=November 4, 2019 |access-date=February 5, 2024}}

=Professional=

Groulx was selected by the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the second round (54th overall) of the 2018 NHL entry draft.{{cite web |last1=Shohara |first1=Kyle |title=Ducks Select Seven Players in 2018 NHL Draft |url=https://www.nhl.com/ducks/news/ducks-select-seven-players-in-2018-nhl-draft/c-299230690 |publisher=Anaheim Ducks |via=NHL.com |date=June 23, 2018 |access-date=June 23, 2018}} On October 10, 2019, the Ducks signed Groulx to a three-year, entry-level contract. Groulx began his professional career with Anaheim's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, in the 2020–21 season, scoring ten goals and 29 points in 42 games and led all AHL rookies in shorthanded points.{{cite web |url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/anaheim-ducks-assign-benoit-olivier-groulx-to-san-diego-gulls |title=Ducks Assign Bo Groulx to San Diego Gulls |publisher=San Diego Gulls |date=November 19, 2021 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} Groulx made his NHL debut the following season in a 4–1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on opening night, October 13, 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2021/10/13/mason-mctavish-ducks-topple-winnipeg-welcome-fans-back-in-season-opener/ |title=Mason McTavish, Ducks topple Winnipeg, welcome fans back in season opener |work=The Orange County Register |last=Teaford |first=Elliott |date=October 13, 2021 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} He registered his first assist and point against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 29 and his first goal against the St. Louis Blues on November 7.{{cite web |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/sports/ex-mooseheads-captain-bo-groulx-scores-first-nhl-goal-100655236/ |title=Ex-Mooseheads captain Bo Groulx scores first NHL goal |last=Pavlov |first=Willy |work=Saltwire |date=November 8, 2021 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} He was sent down to the Gulls on November 19 after playing in 15 games, scoring one goal and three points. He was recalled on November 28{{cite web |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/hockey/news/ducks-benoit-olivier-groulx-recalled-from-ahl/ |title=Ducks' Benoit-Olivier Groulx: Recalled from AHL |work=CBS Sports |date=November 28, 2021 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} and played in one game before being sent back down to San Diego.{{cite web |url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/anaheim-ducks-reassign-benoit-olivier-groulx-to-san-diego |title=Ducks Reassign Benoit-Olivier Groulx to Gulls |publisher=San Diego Gulls |date=November 29, 2021 |access-date=February 5, 2024}}

Groulx spent the majority of the 2022–23 season with San Diego. He was recalled by Anaheim on April 11 and played in two games.{{cite web |url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/anaheim-ducks-recall-benoit-olivier-groulx-from-san-diego-april-11-2023 |title=Anaheim Ducks Recall Benoit Olivier-Groulx from San Diego |publisher=San Diego Gulls |date=April 11, 2023 |access-date=February 5, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/ducks-sign-f-benoit-olivier-groulx-to-one-year-contract-extension/ |title=Ducks sign F Benoit-Olivier Groulx to one-year contract extension |work=Sportsnet |date=July 14, 2023 |access-date=February 5, 2024}} He signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with Anaheim on July 14, 2023. He appeared in 45 games with Anaheim, registering two assists.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/rangers-agree-to-terms-with-casey-fitzgerald-and-bo-groulx | title = Rangers agree to terms with Casey Fitzgerald and Bo Groulx | publisher = New York Rangers |via=NHL.com | date = July 2, 2024 | access-date = July 2, 2024 }}

Following his first four professional seasons within the Ducks organization, Groulx was not tendered a qualifying offer and left as an unrestricted free agent. He was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Rangers on July 2, 2024. He was assigned to New York's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, for the 2024–25 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.hartfordwolfpack.com/news/detail/rangers-assign-bo-groulx-to-wolf-pack |title=Rangers Assign Bo Groulx to Wolf Pack |publisher=Hartford Wolf Pack |date=October 3, 2024 |access-date=November 14, 2024}} He was promoted to the Rangers on January 10, 2025.{{cite web|title=Brett Berard's Fate With Rangers This Season In Question|last=Mastey |first=Remy|date=January 11, 2025|access-date=January 11, 2025|work=The Hockey News |via=Yahoo! Sports|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/brett-berards-fate-rangers-season-203003265.html}}

International play

{{MedalCountry|{{ihj|Canada}} }}

Although born in France, Groulx has represented Canada in international competition and has played in the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics where he played six games for Canada scoring four goals with six points. He also competed in the 2016 World U-17 Hockey Challenge where he played for Canada Red. The team finished first in Group B and Groulx played five games for the team, scoring one goal and two points.{{cite web| url = http://halifaxmooseheads.ca/article/mooseheads-named-to-world-u17-challenge | title = Mooseheads Named to World U-17 Challenge | publisher = Halifax Mooseheads | date = October 12, 2016 | access-date = March 8, 2018}} Although not a tournament regulated by the International Ice Hockey Federation but still considered a major event for under-18 players; Groulx next played in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where he played five games for Canada scoring one goal and three points with six penalty minutes, winning gold with the team.{{cite web | url = http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/1491570-mooseheads-trio-make-team-canadas-u18-roster-for-ivan-hlinka-memorial-cup-zadina-offi | title = Mooseheads' trio make Team Canada's U18 roster for Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup; Zadina officially joins Herd | work=The Chronicle Herald |last=Colorado |first=José | date = August 2, 2017 | access-date = March 8, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180309120610/http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/1491570-mooseheads-trio-make-team-canadas-u18-roster-for-ivan-hlinka-memorial-cup-zadina-offi | archive-date = March 9, 2018 | url-status = dead }}

Personal life

Groulx was born in Rouen, France but grew up in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, where he attended Polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau, a public secondary school in Gatineau. He speaks fluent French. Groulx is the son of Benoit Groulx, a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL.{{cite web| url = https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/benoit-groulx-see-son-go-first-qmjhl-draft/ | title = Benoit Groulx could see son go first in QMJHL draft |work = Sportsnet |agency=The Canadian Press | date = June 2, 2016 | access-date = March 8, 2018}}