The Ottawa Senators announced Saturday that they have signed restricted free agent forward Xavier Bourgault to a one-year, two-way contract.
Bourgault spent last season with the Belleville Senators, where he appeared in 61 games and recorded 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points. The 22-year-old isn't far removed from blue-chip NHL prospect status, being selected 22nd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2021 NHL Draft.
That followed a standout junior career with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. Over four seasons, Bourgault tallied an impressive 206 points (97 goals, 109 assists) in 197 games. Following his draft year, he emerged as one of the Q's most dynamic offensive players, posting 75 points in 43 games and helping lead Shawinigan to the Quebec Junior title in 2022.
Sens GM Steve Staios would have gotten a good look at Bourgault at the Memorial Cup that year as his Hamilton Bulldogs faced the Cataractes twice in that tournament, where Bourgault put up 7 points in 4 games. That fall, both of them turned pro with Edmonton, where Staios joined the club for the 2022-23 season as a special advisor to the club's hockey operations staff.
At 5-foot-11, 179 pounds, Bourgault was slow out of the gate in his first two years in Bakersfield with 54 points in his 117 games. So Staios, now in Ottawa, traded for him last summer, along with forward Jake Chiasson, for Roby Jarventie and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Bourgault admitted at year's end that it took some adjustment going from the AHL team in Bakersfield, California, to the one in Belleville, Ontario.
"I think it's always stressful, a bit, coming into a new group," Bourgault told Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. "You don't know many guys, but I think the guys were pretty welcoming with me. And overall, I liked it on the ice. And off the ice with the guys was fun."
Bourgault was also asked to do some self-evaluation of his own 2024-25 season.
"Overall, I think I was pretty happy with how I finished the season. I think as an offensive guy, you always want to produce and help the team with that. For sure, some ups and downs. But I think as the season was going, I was getting more confident on the ice making plays.
"I think our line towards the end with Philli and Jany (Philippe Daoust and Jan Jenik) we were doing pretty good together. So now I think overall, I'm pretty happy. And just some improvement without the puck as well."
Bourgault will have to try and keep his late-season momentum (12 points in his final 16 AHL games) going this fall with at least one new face on his line. Daoust is now a UFA after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Sens, and while Jenik was qualified, he remains an RFA.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa
Image Credit: Belleville Senators, Jana Chytilova-Freestyle Photography
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