French-born Canadian defenseman Xavier Ouellet, 31, has signed a two-year contract extension with Dinamo Minsk, the KHL website announced on Tuesday.
Ouellet was born in Bayonne, France while his father, Canadian Robert Ouellet, played professionally in the Ligue Magnus. He was raised in Terrebonne, Que. and played junior hockey for the Montreal Juniors and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL.
Ouellet was chosen in the second round, 48th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. From 2013 to 2021, Ouellet played 178 NHL regular-season games for the Wings and Montreal Canadiens, recording 28 points and 82 penalty minutes. He also added an assist in 11 playoff games – 10 of which were with Montreal in the 2020 Eastern Conference bubble in Toronto.
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Ouellet played in the AHL for the Grand Rapids Griffins and was captain of the Laval Rocket. He also played two seasons for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins while under contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Internationally, Ouellet represented Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. A dual citizen of France and Canada, he has never played for either country at the senior level.
The 2024-25 season is Ouellet’s first in Europe. Through his first 57 KHL games, Ouellet has 24 points and 28 penalty minutes for the Belarus-based Minsk club, which sits sixth out of 11 teams in the Western Conference.
Dinamo’s roster includes fellow ex-NHLers Jordan Gross, Alexander Volkov, Tanner Fritz and Vadim Shipachyov. NHL-drafted prospects on the roster include 21-year-old goaltender Yegor Velmakin (Carolina Hurricanes) and 20-year-old forward Vadim Moroz (Utah HC).
