Thomas Chabot Bio
Thomas Chabot, born January 30, 1997, in Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Canada, is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected 18th overall by the Senators in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Chabot has developed into one of the league’s most trusted minute-munching defencemen. In January 2017, he became the first defenceman ever named the most valuable player of the World Junior Championships.
Standing 188 cm tall and weighing 86 kg, Chabot combines size with smooth skating and offensive skill from the back end. He has been a cornerstone of the Senators’ rebuild and represents the modern two-way defenceman who drives a team’s play in all situations.
Early Life and Background
Thomas Chabot was born and raised in Sainte-Marie, a small city in the Beauce region of Quebec, Canada. The area has a long tradition of producing skilled hockey players, and Chabot grew up immersed in that culture. He played in the 2009 and 2010 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with his minor ice hockey team from the Beauce-Nord area, an early signal of his talent.
As a young teenager, Chabot joined the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after being selected 22nd overall in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft. He played 55 games during the 2013–14 QMJHL season, adjusting quickly to the faster, more physical style of major junior hockey. The following season, his strong two-way play earned him an invitation to the 2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, where he showed scouts that he was ready for the next step.
Path to Hockey
Chabot’s progression through the QMJHL was steady and impressive. After two seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs, he was viewed as one of the top defensive prospects in North America. His combination of poise, vision, and skating convinced the Ottawa Senators to make him their first-round pick, 18th overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Following his draft, Chabot attended the Senators’ rookie and main training camps in 2015 after taking part in Hockey Canada’s National Team Summer Showcase in Calgary. He appeared in three preseason games with Ottawa before being returned to Saint John on September 30, 2015, the same day he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Senators. The arrangement allowed him to continue developing in a leading role with the Sea Dogs while gaining valuable NHL exposure.
Thomas Chabot Career
Early Career (2013–2016)
Chabot spent his formative junior years with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, where he quickly became the team’s top defenceman. During the 2015–16 season, he served as one of the team’s offensive drivers from the back end while also logging heavy minutes in all situations.
At the conclusion of the 2016–17 QMJHL season, Chabot earned the Sea Dogs’ Top Defenceman Award and the Fans Choice Award, recognition of both his on-ice play and his connection with the Saint John fan base. These honours marked him as a mature junior player ready to make the jump to professional hockey.
NHL Debut and First Seasons (2016–2018)
Chabot made his NHL debut on October 18, 2016, against the Arizona Coyotes, after earning a spot with the Senators out of training camp. After appearing in one game with Ottawa, he was returned to Saint John for his final major junior season.
To begin the 2017–18 campaign, Chabot was assigned to Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators, where he recorded two goals and five assists in 12 games before being recalled by Ottawa in November 2017. He scored his first NHL goal, along with two assists, in a 6–5 win over the New York Islanders on December 1, 2017. In his first full NHL season, he finished with 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 63 games, while averaging less than 18 minutes of ice time per game.
Breakout Season (2018–2019)
The 2018–19 season marked Chabot’s official arrival as an NHL star. He finished with 55 points in 70 games, the 10th-highest total among NHL defencemen that year. As the season progressed, his average ice time climbed to about 25 minutes per game, and he assumed first-pairing duties on a young Ottawa roster.
He was one of only three defencemen under the age of 25 to reach the 50-point mark, alongside Jacob Trouba and Morgan Rielly. Chabot was named to the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, capping a remarkable campaign. After Ottawa’s top two scorers, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene, were traded at the deadline, Chabot finished the year as the team’s leading scorer. In September 2019, the Senators rewarded his play with an eight-year, $64 million contract extension.
Ottawa Senators Era (2019–Present)
Chabot has remained the keystone player in Ottawa’s defence corps throughout the years following his breakout. As the team built around young talent, he regularly logged very high minutes per game. In the 2021–22 season he averaged 26 minutes and 23 seconds of ice time per game, the highest of any player on any team in the league, until a March 16, 2022, hand injury caused by Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly ended his season.
During the 2022–23 season, Chabot faced criticism as the team struggled, though some argued that injury and overuse affected his level of play. He missed time with a concussion in November 2022 and suffered an upper-body injury in March 2023 that ended his campaign prematurely. Through it all, he has remained a steady leader and alternate captain in the Senators’ dressing room.
Driving Style and Strengths
Chabot is recognized for his smooth skating, strong hockey sense, and ability to contribute at both ends of the ice. He excels at transitioning play from defence to offence and quarterbacks Ottawa’s top power-play unit. His comfort playing 25-plus minutes a night has made him the type of defenceman coaches trust in every situation.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Chabot’s signature achievements, his 2017 World Juniors MVP stands as a landmark moment, as he was the first defenceman ever to receive that honour. His eight-year, $64 million contract extension in September 2019 reflected the Senators’ belief in him as a franchise cornerstone, and his 2019 NHL All-Star selection highlighted his standing among the league’s elite defencemen.
Thomas Chabot Career Wins
While defencemen are not typically judged by goals or wins alone, Thomas Chabot has collected meaningful accolades throughout his career. His honours include team awards at the junior level, international medals with Team Canada, and league-wide recognition in the NHL.
International and Junior Highlights
Chabot won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships. He later represented Canada at the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championships, recording three points in five games. At the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he was selected as an alternate captain, helped Canada to a silver medal, and was named tournament MVP and best defenceman, becoming the first defenceman ever to win the MVP award.
Other Performances
Chabot represented Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, finishing the tournament with one point in six games as Canada placed fourth. He returned for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, helping Canada reach the final before losing to Finland and earning a silver medal. In 2022, he was named captain of Team Canada for the IIHF World Championship, where Canada again finished with silver after a 4–3 overtime loss to Finland in the final.
Thomas Chabot Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Thomas Chabot comes from Sainte-Marie, in Quebec’s Beauce region, an area known for its strong hockey tradition. He played his minor hockey with the Beauce-Nord minor ice hockey program, where he developed the foundation for his professional career.
Personal Life
Thomas Chabot maintains a relatively private personal life away from the rink. Born and raised in Quebec, he continues to be recognized as one of the province’s prominent hockey figures and a leader within the Ottawa Senators organization.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Thomas Chabot remains the central figure on the Ottawa Senators’ blue line and one of the team’s alternate captains. After seasons interrupted by injury, he is expected to anchor the top defensive pairing and continue quarterbacking the power play.
The Senators, stocked with young offensive talent, will lean on Chabot to log heavy minutes and stabilize the defensive zone. His ability to eat up 25-plus minutes a night gives Ottawa’s coaching staff the freedom to deploy their forwards in favourable situations.
For Chabot, the 2025 campaign represents another opportunity to silence critics and reaffirm his status as one of the NHL’s premier defencemen. With a long-term contract in place and a young team on the rise, his steady presence will be a key factor in Ottawa’s push toward playoff contention.