Adam Gaudette

Adam Gaudette
Born	(1996-10-03) October 3, 1996 Taunton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Professional ice hockey player
Years active	2018–present
Known for	Ice hockey center for the San Jose Sharks in the NHL

Adam Gaudette (born October 3, 1996) is a professional ice hockey center from the United States, currently playing for the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League (NHL). His previous NHL experience includes stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and St. Louis Blues. Gaudette competed at the collegiate level for the Northeastern Huskies in the NCAA, where he earned prestigious accolades such as the Hobey Baker Award, was honored as the Hockey East Player of the Year, and received selection to the AHCA East First-Team All-American. Selected 149th overall by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft, he made his league debut with the Canucks in 2018.

Early life

Gaudette was born in Taunton, Massachusetts to Tara, an instructional coach at an elementary school, and Doug Gaudette, who works as a firefighter. Coming from a family with a strong athletic background—his mother was a record-holding high school softball player—he participated in various sports before dedicating himself to ice hockey. At sixth grade, he joined Thayer Academy’s hockey program, which led his family to relocate to Braintree, Massachusetts to facilitate his travel. Under the guidance of former NHL player Tony Amonte, Gaudette overcame early setbacks due to injuries and managed to accumulate 67 points across 27 games during his junior year. Simultaneously, he competed in minor hockey for Boston Advantage within the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League.

Amateur

During the 2013–14 season, Gaudette tallied 29 goals over 27 games while playing for Thayer Academy. In 2014, he committed to join Northeastern University’s NCAA hockey program. As a freshman with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL, he recorded 13 goals and contributed 17 assists, totaling 30 points across 41 games. He launched his collegiate career at Northeastern in the 2014–15 season by scoring 12 goals and amassing 30 points over 41 contests.

In the following season (2015–16), Gaudette earned a promotion to the second line and power play unit after teammate Kevin Roy sustained an injury. Partnering with Dylan Sikura, he elevated his production to 26 goals and 52 points in just 37 games. His efforts helped Northeastern secure the Hockey East Championship in March 2016, where he added a goal and an assist.

By 2017, Gaudette had emerged as an elite prospect, leading NCAA players nationally with 14 power-play goals and ranking third overall in points after participating in 31 games. Analyst Pierre McGuire described him as "the steal of the 2015 draft." Throughout the 2017–18 season, Gaudette achieved personal bests in goals and assists while steering Northeastern to their first Beanpot title in three decades. He notched a hat trick in the championship game against Boston University and was honored as Most Outstanding Player. He concluded that season as the national leader with 60 points.

At the conclusion of that campaign, Gaudette received multiple honors including Hockey East Player of the Year, Scoring Champion, and a place on the First All-Star Team. On April 6, 2018, he was awarded the Hobey Baker Award and named an AHCA East First-Team All-American alongside teammates Dylan Sikura and Jérémy Davies.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks selected Gaudette in the fifth round, 149th overall, of the 2015 NHL entry draft, utilizing a pick obtained from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Raphael Diaz. On March 26, 2018, Gaudette inked his entry-level contract with Vancouver and made his NHL debut just three days later against the Edmonton Oilers. He participated in five games during that season but did not register any points as the Canucks failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Following his attendance at training camp ahead of the 2018–19 NHL season, Gaudette was initially assigned to Vancouver’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets. After posting two goals and two assists in four games with Utica, he was recalled to the Canucks on October 15. Gaudette recorded his first NHL point via an assist on October 25 and netted his inaugural NHL goal on November 24 during a victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Due to injuries among Vancouver’s centers, he appeared in 56 games that season, primarily serving as a third-line center and finishing with five goals and seven assists.

Gaudette secured a spot on Vancouver’s roster for the 2019–20 season out of training camp but was sent back to Utica after three games. He was soon recalled and responded strongly in November by scoring six goals and accumulating ten points, solidifying his position on the team. He completed the season with totals of 12 goals and 21 assists across 59 games before play was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the resumed postseason, Gaudette played in 10 of Vancouver’s 17 games but did not score. On October 19, 2020, he agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Canucks worth $950,000. In the pandemic-shortened season that followed, he appeared in 33 games and contributed four goals and seven points. In April 2021, Gaudette was among several team members impacted by a major COVID-19 outbreak.

Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators

On April 12, 2021, Gaudette was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Matthew Highmore. He made his debut for Chicago on April 19, assisting on David Kampf's goal during a 5–2 defeat to the Nashville Predators. His first goal as a Blackhawk came on April 29 in a 4–3 overtime loss against the Florida Panthers. Gaudette appeared in seven games to close out the season with Chicago, tallying one goal and four points. The Blackhawks re-signed him to a one-year contract worth $997,500 on July 26.

After enhancing his nutrition regimen during the offseason, Gaudette earned a roster spot for the 2021–22 NHL season. He played eight games, registering one goal and two points before being placed on waivers on November 26. The following day, he was claimed by the Ottawa Senators. Gaudette debuted for Ottawa on December 1 and scored his first goal with the team in a 6–2 loss to his former club, the Vancouver Canucks. Throughout that season, he appeared in 50 games for Ottawa, contributing four goals and twelve points.

Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues

After not receiving a qualifying offer from Ottawa, Gaudette signed a one-year deal valued at $750,000 with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 13, 2022. He cleared waivers and was assigned to Toronto's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, on October 13. On December 9, Gaudette received a three-game suspension related to an incident during a game against the Belleville Senators. Over 40 games with the Marlies that season, he scored 20 goals and amassed 34 points.

On February 17, 2023, Gaudette was part of a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Wild, moving to the St. Louis Blues along with prospect Mikhail Abramov and draft picks; in exchange, Toronto acquired Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari. He concluded the season playing for St. Louis’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he recorded seven goals and seventeen points across twenty-five games. The Thunderbirds qualified for the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs but were eliminated in a first-round sweep by the Hartford Wolf Pack, with Gaudette scoring once in two playoff appearances.

On June 21, Gaudette agreed to a one-year two-way contract extension with St. Louis. He attended their 2023 training camp but did not make the NHL roster; after being placed on waivers unclaimed, he was assigned back to Springfield for the 2023–24 season. During that campaign, Gaudette played in 67 games for Springfield, tallying an impressive total of 44 goals and 71 points. On January 17, 2024, he was recalled by St. Louis and made his Blues debut on January 18 in a 5–2 loss to the Washington Capitals. After one additional scoreless appearance at NHL level, he returned to Springfield on January 30.

At season’s conclusion, Gaudette earned selection to the AHL First All-Star Team—the first player from Springfield Thunderbirds history to receive this distinction—and secured the Willie Marshall Award as the league’s top goal scorer.

Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks

On July 2, 2024, Gaudette agreed to a one-year, two-way deal with the Ottawa Senators. He started the 2024–25 campaign with Ottawa but was briefly sent down to their AHL team, the Belleville Senators, on October 15, only to be recalled the following day. Gaudette experienced a career-best NHL season, appearing in 81 games and tallying 19 goals along with 26 points. The Senators secured a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs and faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. Gaudette netted his inaugural NHL playoff goal during Game 2, leveling the score and pushing the contest into overtime. Ottawa exited the playoffs after six games, with Gaudette finishing with one goal and three total points.

Building on this successful season, Gaudette signed a two-year contract worth $4 million with the San Jose Sharks on July 1, 2025, effective for the upcoming season. He made his Sharks debut on October 9 in a 4–3 overtime defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights and scored his first goal for San Jose on October 12 against the Anaheim Ducks. After suffering an injury in a game versus the Minnesota Wild on October 26, he returned to action on November 5, joining the Sharks’ second line alongside Philipp Kurashev and Alexander Wennberg.

International play

Gaudette represented Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, delivering a standout performance with two goals and an assist in a 3–2 victory over Sweden on May 21, 2022. The team ultimately placed fourth after falling to Czechia in the bronze medal match. Over ten tournament games, Gaudette accumulated six goals and eight points.

Playing style

Gaudette models his approach to hockey after players such as Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron. He is known as a center who excels defensively and maintains a strong presence across all zones of the ice.

Personal life

Gaudette entered into marriage in June 2020. He has two brothers: his youngest sibling Cam plays for the Pensacola Ice Flyers in the SPHL, while Brady competed at the NCAA Division III level for the Norwich Cadets. During off-seasons, Gaudette operates a Twitch channel where he streams video games—primarily Call of Duty—allowing fans insight into NHL players’ lives beyond hockey.

Regular season and playoffs

  | 2019–20    | Vancouver Canucks   |   NHL   |   59   |   12   |   21   |   33   |   37   |   10   |   0   |   0   |   0   |   2   | >|2023–24 NHL season >|St. Louis Blues >|NHL >|2 >|0 >|0 >|0 >|4 >| >| >| >| >| >|2024–25 NHL season >|Ottawa Senators >|NHL >|81 >|19 >|7 >|26 >|12 >|6 >|1 >|2 >|3 >|4

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011–12	Thayer Academy	HS-Prep		15	1	0	1			—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Boston Advantage 16U AAA	T1EHL		7	2	1	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Thayer Academy	HS-Prep		11	2	3	5			—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Boston Advantage 16U AAA	T1EHL		6	2	2	4	2		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Thayer Academy	HS-Prep		27	29	38	67			—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL		50	13	17	30	55		3	0	0	0	4
2015–16	Northeastern University	HE		41	12	18	30	20
2016–17	Northeastern University	HE		37	26	26	52	20
2017–18	Northeastern University	HE		38	30	30	60	41
2017–18	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		5	0	0	0	0
2018–19	Utica Comets	AHL		14	5	6	11	12
2018–19	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		56	5	7	12	18
2019–20	Utica Comets	AHL		2	1	0	1	0
>2020–21 NHL season	>Vancouver Canucks	>NHL		>33	>4	>3	>7	>12
>2020–21	>Chicago Blackhawks	>NHL		>7	>1	>3	>4	>0
>2021–22	>Chicago Blackhawks	>NHL		>8	>1	>1	>2	>4
>2021–22	>Ottawa Senators	>NHL		>50	>4	>8	>12	>13
>2022–23 AHL season	>Toronto Marlies	>AHL		>40	>20	>14	>34	>47
>2022–23	>Springfield Thunderbirds	>AHL		>25	>7	>10	>17	>10		>2	>1	>0	>1	>2
>2023–24 AHL season	>Springfield Thunderbirds	>AHL		>67	>44	>27	>71	>51
NHL totals				301	46	50	96	100		16	1	2	3	6

International

Year	Team	Competition	Placement		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2022	United States	WC	4th place		10	6	2	8	10
Total senior statistics					10	6	2	8	10

Awards and honors

Award	Year
Collegiate
Hockey East Player of the Year	2018
Hockey East Scoring Champion	2018
Hockey East First All-Star Team	2018
Hobey Baker Award	2018
AHCA East First-Team All-American	2018
AHL
Willie Marshall Award	2024
First All-Star Team	2024