Man of the Week: Cedric Paquette
The KHL.ru column ‘Man of the Week’ returns with Cedric Paquette. The Canadian forward, who won the 2020 Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, has just netted his first KHL hat-trick.
In his second year in the league, Canadian forward Cedric Paquette has already surpassed his production and set career-highs for goals and points. After his move from Minsk to Moscow, inking a deal with Dynamo, Paquette has unleashed a bigger offensive potential that culminated in Saturday’s first KHL hat-trick in the Blue-and-Whites’ win over Torpedo (6:1). Paquette also had an assist that night, bringing it to a four-point performance – another personal best. Currently, the forward has 31 (19+12) points in 50 regular-season games, up from 27 in 54 last year in Minsk.
Early years
Cedric Paquette was born on Aug 13, 1993, in Gaspe, Quebec, a city at the tip of Eastern Quebec at about 650 km northeast of the capital. In his early career, Paquette spent three seasons with College Notre-Dame in Montreal, where he scored 28 goals in his senior season. Afterward, he joined the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, playing for the Montreal Juniors and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. During his time in the QMJHL, he scored 58 goals and 131 points in 126 games, along with 191 penalty minutes. He was then consequently drafted into the NHL by the Tampa Bay Lightning 101st overall in 2012. Paquette signed his first contract with the Lightning in 2013.
Moving up the ranks
Paquette had a successful start of his professional career with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, the Lightning’s minor league affiliate. He scored 44 (20+24) points in his rookie season, then he was called up to the main roster to never return down to the AHL, if not for a brief stint in his sophomore season.
Capable to play physical and contribute to the offensive zone, Paquette’s play was greatly appreciated by the Lightning, who renewed ties with the Quebec-born forward several times, guaranteeing a quality player for the bottom lines who could play a 200-foot game throwing his body around and providing some secondary scoring.
Stanley Cup triumph
The highlight of Paquette’s stint in Tampa Bay was the 2020 postseason. The Lightning won their second Stanley Cup championship, sixteen years after their 2004 triumph, while Paquette played in 25 playoff games as Tampa Bay defeated the Dallas Stars in six games. In the regular season, the forward contributed 18 (7+11) points in 61 games. The Stanley Cup triumph, however, marked the end of Paquette’s stint in Florida. His seven-season tenure with the Lightning ended as he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in a deal that also involved former Ak Bars goalie Anders Nilsson. Paquette also lined up for the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens. However, he failed to be as successful as he was with the Lightning. As a free agent from the Habs, Paquette moved overseas, signing with Dinamo Minsk.
Move to the KHL
Paquette’s CV and background were appreciated in the KHL as he inked a one-year deal with the league’s Belarus franchise, Dinamo Minsk. He made an impact right away, producing 27 (14+13) points for the Bisons, helping the franchise reaching the playoffs to face SKA again, losing the series in six games.
Following his stint in Minsk, Paquette signed a two-year deal with Dynamo Moscow this summer as he joined a contending team. The Canadian forward showed an excellent game right away, especially playing alongside with Jordan Weal and Nikita Gusev on the man advantage. Dynamo Moscow is currently the second seed in the Western Conference, and Cedric Paquette has just played his first KHL hat-trick – chances are good for the Canadian to showcase his experience and leadership abilities on another deep run in the playoffs, this time wearing the Blue-and-White.
