Pierre-Olivier Joseph facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pierre-Olivier Joseph |
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Joseph in 2019
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| Born | July 1, 1999 Laval, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Pittsburgh Penguins St. Louis Blues |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 23rd overall, 2017 Arizona Coyotes |
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| Playing career | 2019–present | ||
Pierre-Olivier "P.O" Joseph is a talented Canadian ice hockey player. He was born on July 1, 1999. He plays as a defenceman for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Arizona Coyotes picked him 23rd overall in the 2017 NHL draft.
Contents
About Pierre-Olivier Joseph
His Early Life
Pierre-Olivier Joseph was born in Laval, Quebec, Canada. His parents are Frantzi Joseph and France Taillon. His dad played and coached hockey for many years. His mom was also a competitive athlete when she was younger.
P.O. Joseph has an older brother named Mathieu. Mathieu is also a professional hockey player. He currently plays for the St. Louis Blues.
Starting His Hockey Journey
Joseph was chosen 78th overall in the 2015 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft. This was by the Charlottetown Islanders. He started playing full-time with the Islanders in November of his first season. He finished his first year with eight points in 48 games.
Before the 2016–17 season, he was ranked as a player to watch by the NHL. This meant he was considered a promising young talent.
Playing in the QMJHL
Joseph returned to the Islanders for his second season. He was named an assistant captain. He had a great year, scoring 39 points in 33 games. He set new personal bests for goals and assists.
He helped the Islanders reach the 2017 QMJHL playoffs. He scored six points in 13 playoff games. Because of his strong play, the Arizona Coyotes drafted him 23rd overall in the 2017 NHL entry draft. He then signed a three-year contract with them.
After being drafted, Joseph worked hard to get stronger. He wanted to add more weight and muscle. He even lived with the Coyotes' nutritionist for a year.
In December 2018, Joseph was traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He was also named captain of Team QMJHL for a special series of games.
Becoming a Professional Player
On June 29, 2019, Joseph was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This trade also involved Alex Galchenyuk going to the Penguins. In return, the Coyotes received Phil Kessel and other players.
Joseph continued to train hard to gain weight. He added 10 pounds before his first professional season. He played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL is a league where players often develop their skills before joining the NHL.
Early in his first season, he got sick with mononucleosis. He missed over a month of games. When he came back, he had lost some of the weight he had gained. But his coaches still believed in his strength and ability.
As the 2019–20 season went on, Joseph took on more responsibility. Many of his teammates were called up to play in the NHL. He played on the top defensive pair and averaged over 20 minutes per game. He had 14 points in his final 32 games.
Making it to the NHL
Joseph made his NHL debut on January 22, 2021. He played for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Rangers. He got his chance because some other players were injured.
Before his first game, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan praised him. He said Joseph was stronger and faster. He also said Joseph was a good two-way defenceman. This means he is good at both offense and defense.
In his first seven NHL games, Joseph scored five points. He even scored his first NHL goal against Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders.
After playing five seasons with the Penguins, Joseph became a free agent. On July 2, 2024, he signed a contract with the St. Louis Blues. This meant he got to play with his brother Mathieu! However, he was traded back to Pittsburgh on December 18, 2024.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Canada |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2023 Finland/Latvia | |
On May 5, 2023, Joseph was chosen to play for the Canada men's national ice hockey team. He played in the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He scored one goal in ten games. Team Canada won a gold medal at this championship!
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois | QMAAA | 42 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois | QMAAA | 19 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | 48 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2016–17 | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | 62 | 6 | 33 | 39 | 54 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | 63 | 13 | 33 | 46 | 59 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 24 | ||
| 2018–19 | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | 27 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Drummondville Voltigeurs | QMJHL | 35 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2019–20 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 52 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 16 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 23 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 61 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 75 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 52 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 170 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Canada | WC |  |
10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||
