Phillip Danault Bio
Phillip Danault is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays as a forward in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on February 24, 1993, in Victoriaville, Quebec, he was drafted 26th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Danault has built his reputation on defensive responsibility, faceoff work, and dependable two-way play across more than a decade in professional hockey.
He has suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Los Angeles Kings during his NHL career, and he is widely respected as a shutdown centre. In 2021, he signed a long-term contract with the Kings, and in December 2025, he was traded back to the Canadiens. He continues to be recognized for his work ethic, his role in community programs, and his willingness to match up against opponents’ top forwards.
Early Life and Background
Danault was born on February 24, 1993, in Victoriaville, Quebec, to Alain and Michelle Danault. His mother works as a nurse, while his father served as the public address announcer for the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Growing up around the local junior team gave Danault a strong connection to the sport from an early age.
He played minor and bantam hockey with Hockey Bois-Francs and was named captain for his teams at several levels, including Novice A, Atom BB, Peewee AA, and Bantam AA. He also competed in the 2005 and 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Victoriaville Tigres minor ice hockey team. During the 2008–09 season, he recorded 27 points with the Trois-Rivières Estacades to help the team qualify for the Jimmy-Ferrari Cup, where he added 15 points across 19 games before the Estacades fell in the finals.
At the conclusion of that season, Danault was selected ninth overall by his hometown Victoriaville Tigres in the QMJHL draft. He balanced his junior development with school in Quebec, and his steady progression through youth and minor hockey laid the foundation for a successful professional career.
Path to Hockey
Danault set new career highs during the 2010–11 QMJHL season and earned league-wide recognition. He was selected to represent Team Cherry at the 2011 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and was named Player of the Game in the 2010 SUBWAY Super Series against Russia. He was also appointed captain of the Victoriaville Tigres following the departure of Philip-Michael Devos, a sign of his leadership credentials at a young age.
He received the Guy Carbonneau Trophy as the QMJHL’s best defensive forward after recording 23 goals and 44 assists through 64 games. He was ranked 23rd among North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s midterm list and finished 27th in the final ranking. On draft day, the Chicago Blackhawks selected him in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Phillip Danault Career
Early Career (2011–2013)
Following the 2011 draft, Danault attended the Blackhawks’ training camp before rejoining the Victoriaville Tigres for the 2011–12 season. He opened the season strongly with 18 points in his first 19 games and was selected to represent Team QMJHL in the 2011 Subway Super Series. He finished the campaign with 53 assists and 71 points through 62 regular season games, setting new career highs.
After the Tigres were eliminated from the 2012 playoffs, Danault was reassigned to the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, for the remainder of their season. He tallied two assists and ten penalty minutes over a seven-game stint. On January 8, 2013, he was traded to the Moncton Wildcats in a multi-pick deal, where he was placed on the top line with Dmitrij Jaškin and Ivan Barbashev. After the Wildcats’ playoff exit, he returned to the IceHogs to finish the year.
Chicago Blackhawks (2013–2016)
After attending the Blackhawks’ 2013 training camp, Danault spent the 2013–14 season with the Rockford IceHogs, recording six goals and 20 assists in his rookie year. He participated in the 2014 Rookie Tournament in London, Ontario, scoring three goals in his first two games, and later played on a line with Dennis Rasmussen and Ryan Hartman at Blackhawks training camp.
Injuries to the Blackhawks’ lineup led to his first NHL recall on November 21, 2014, and he made his debut the following night against the Edmonton Oilers. He finished the regular season with 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points in 70 games, while later revealing he had played much of the year with a torn labrum. After off-season hip surgery, he returned to the IceHogs in December 2015 and was quickly recalled, earning his first NHL point with an assist on Andrew Shaw’s goal on December 20. He scored his first career NHL goal on January 8, 2016, in a 3–1 win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal Canadiens (2016–2021)
On February 26, 2016, Danault was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, along with a 2018 second-round pick, in exchange for Dale Weise and Tomáš Fleischmann. He appeared in 21 games for the Canadiens that season and recorded three goals and two assists. On July 5, 2016, he signed a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $912,500.
On January 13, 2018, he was stretchered off the ice after being hit in the head by a shot from Zdeno Chára but was released the next day. On July 15, 2018, he signed a three-year extension worth an average of $3.08 million per year. He scored his first career NHL hat-trick on December 22, 2018, in a 4–3 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, and finished the 2018–19 season with a career-high 53 points, placing seventh in Selke Trophy voting.
During the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, he had five goals and 24 points in 53 games and finished sixth in Selke voting. He was a key part of the Canadiens’ surprising run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, their first championship series appearance since 1993, where they were defeated in five games by the Tampa Bay Lightning. His defensive performance against opposing top forwards drew widespread praise.
Los Angeles Kings Era (2021–2025)
On July 28, 2021, Danault signed a six-year, $33 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings as an unrestricted free agent. He finished the 2021–22 season with a career-high 27 goals and helped the Kings clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2018. In the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, he scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period of game one to lead the Kings to a 4–3 win. He finished that series with three goals and two assists through seven games.
On March 9, 2023, he scored his 99th and 100th NHL goals in a 5–2 win over the Colorado Avalanche and later received the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service Award for his work with the Kings’ Learn-to-Play programming. On March 3, 2024, he recorded his second career hat-trick in a 5–1 win against the New Jersey Devils. By the 2025–26 season, his offensive production slowed, and in December 2025, he requested a trade. On December 19, 2025, the Kings traded him back to the Canadiens in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
Driving Style and Strengths
Danault is regarded as a reliable two-way centre whose value is built on defensive responsibility rather than raw offense. He excels at faceoffs, penalty killing, and matching up against opponents’ top lines, and he has earned strong Selke Trophy consideration in multiple seasons. His coaches have praised his hockey IQ, his willingness to play in all situations, and his quiet leadership in the locker room.
Notable Events and Milestones
Danault’s signature moments include his first NHL goal in January 2016, his first career hat-trick against the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, and his second hat-trick against the New Jersey Devils in 2024. He reached the 100-goal milestone in March 2023 and played a key role in the Canadiens’ 2021 Stanley Cup run. He has also been recognized for his community work through the Kings’ youth hockey programs.
Phillip Danault Career Wins
While Phillip Danault’s game is not defined by goal-scoring totals, he has accumulated a steady list of individual achievements and team milestones across the QMJHL and NHL. He has posted career-best offensive seasons in Montreal and Los Angeles and has earned league-wide recognition for his defensive play.
NHL Highlights
Danault has recorded more than 100 regular-season NHL goals and multiple 20-goal seasons, including a career-high 27 goals in 2021–22 with the Los Angeles Kings. He scored his first career hat-trick on December 22, 2018, and added a second on March 3, 2024. He has been a top-10 finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy on multiple occasions and helped both the Canadiens and the Kings qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Other Wins and Performances
Before reaching the NHL, Danault won the Guy Carbonneau Trophy as the QMJHL’s best defensive forward in 2010–11. He represented Team QMJHL in the Subway Super Series and was named Player of the Game against Russia. He has also been recognized with team and community awards, including the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service Award in 2023.
Phillip Danault Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Danault was raised in Victoriaville, Quebec, by his parents, Alain and Michelle Danault. His father, Alain, served as the public address announcer for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, giving Phillip an early and constant connection to the local junior hockey scene. His mother, Michelle, works as a nurse.
Personal Life
Phillip Danault married Marie-Pierre Fortin on July 21, 2018. The couple has two children together, a son and a daughter. The family has been based in both Montreal and Los Angeles during his NHL career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025–26 season proved to be a difficult stretch for Phillip Danault with the Los Angeles Kings. He failed to score a goal in his first 30 games and managed only five assists over that span, a sharp drop from his usual offensive production. His ice time and role on the team also shifted as the Kings worked to integrate younger players into their forward group.
By early December 2025, reports indicated that Danault had requested a trade, with speculation that a move could be completed before the NHL’s holiday trade freeze. On December 19, 2025, the Kings completed a deal sending him back to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. The trade marked an emotional return to the organization where he had spent the most productive years of his career.
Looking ahead, Danault is expected to slot into a middle-six forward role with the Canadiens and to provide the same defensive reliability and faceoff strength that defined his earlier years in Montreal. His experience against top lines and his history with the franchise are likely to make him a key part of the team’s structure for the remainder of the 2025–26 season and beyond.