Trent Frederic Bio
Trent Frederic is an American professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on February 11, 1998, in St. Louis, Missouri, he was selected 29th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Frederic began his NHL career with the Bruins before being traded to the Oilers in March 2025, establishing himself as a physical, hard-working forward who contributes on the penalty kill and in a depth scoring role.
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing about 220 pounds, Frederic has built a reputation as one of the league’s more willing fighters and a dependable bottom-six presence. He signed a long-term extension with the Oilers in June 2025, signaling the franchise’s belief in his two-way game heading into the prime of his career.
Early Life and Background
Trent Frederic was born on February 11, 1998, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Bob and Gaye Frederic, both lifelong fans of the St. Louis Blues. Raised in a hockey household, he grew up admiring former Blues players Keith Tkachuk and David Backes, and he modeled his own playing style after Backes as a child. The Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, often practiced roller hockey in the Frederic family basement, sometimes joined by future NHL players Logan Brown, Clayton Keller, and Luke Kunin.
As a child, Frederic played three sports and was coached by former professionals in each. His youth hockey coaches included Keith Tkachuk and Jeff Brown, his American football quarterback coach was Gus Frerotte, and Mike Matheny coached him in Little League Baseball. Frederic attended De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, where he was a multi-sport athlete before being recruited by the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in October 2013 following a minor hockey tournament.
Path to Hockey
Frederic spent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program beginning in 2013, representing the country at several international tournaments. Across 58 United States Hockey League games with the program, he recorded seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points, gaining exposure that would shape his professional outlook. He also represented the United States at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships, and the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning a silver medal and two bronze medals at those events.
Although recruited by the Boston University Terriers, Frederic committed to play college ice hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers beginning in the 2016–17 season. The summer before enrolling, he was drafted 29th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft but still joined Wisconsin. As a freshman, he scored his first collegiate goal on October 8, 2016, in a 6–5 win over Northern Michigan, and he was later named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the Badgers’ Most Valuable Player. After his sophomore season in 2017–18, in which he served as an alternate captain, Frederic signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Bruins and ended his college career.
Trent Frederic Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Trent Frederic made his NHL debut on January 29, 2019, for the Boston Bruins against the Winnipeg Jets, skating on a line with his childhood hero David Backes. He recorded a five-minute major penalty for fighting Brandon Tanev that night but went scoreless in his first 11 NHL games before being returned to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League. He finished his rookie season with no goals or assists in 15 NHL games, while contributing 14 goals and 25 points in 55 AHL contests.
In 2019–20, Frederic split time between Providence and Boston, leading the AHL with 148 penalty minutes while scoring eight goals and 32 points in 59 regular-season games. He was selected to join the Bruins for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in the Toronto bubble but contracted COVID-19 during training camp and was unable to play.
Boston Bruins Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Frederic opened the 2020–21 season on Boston’s taxi squad and cemented his roster spot with a fight against P. K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils. He recorded his first NHL point on January 23, 2021, an assist against the Philadelphia Flyers, and scored his first NHL goal against Carter Hart during the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe game on February 21. A non-COVID illness in April 2021 limited him to 42 games, but he finished with four goals and one assist before signing a two-year, $2.1 million extension in June 2021.
Under new head coach Jim Montgomery in 2022–23, Frederic enjoyed his breakout campaign, playing mostly on the right wing with Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle. He set career highs with 17 goals and 31 points in 79 games, giving the Bruins a hard-driving, physical winger capable of contributing offense. The Bruins ultimately lost a seven-game first-round series to the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boston Bruins Established Role (2023–2025)
On August 1, 2023, Frederic signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract extension with the Bruins, taking on a larger role as several veterans departed. He responded with career highs across the board in 2023–24, scoring his first professional power-play goal on January 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and finishing with 18 goals and 40 points in 81 games. He was awarded the NESN 7th Player Award as the Bruin who exceeded fan expectations, crediting Montgomery’s confidence for his growth.
Edmonton Oilers Era (2025–Present)
On March 4, 2025, Frederic was traded to the Edmonton Oilers alongside Max Jones and unsigned prospect Petr Hauser in a three-team deal that sent Max Wanner, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to the Bruins while the New Jersey Devils retained half of his salary. He debuted for the Oilers on April 5, 2025, in a 3–0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. On May 1, 2025, he scored his first goal as an Oiler in Game 6 against the Kings, and the goal stood as the series winner in a 6–4 victory that sent Edmonton to the second round.
On June 27, 2025, Frederic signed an eight-year, $30.8 million contract extension with the Oilers, committing to the franchise through the 2032–33 season. The deal reflected Edmonton’s confidence in his physical, defensive identity and his growing offensive touch.
Driving Style and Strengths
Trent Frederic’s playing style is built on physicality, defensive responsibility, and willingness to engage opponents. Standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing about 220 pounds, he has become one of the NHL’s more dependable fighters and agitators, with teammates Brad Marchand and former coach Bruce Cassidy praising his discipline in choosing battles. He has also developed into a capable penalty-killer and depth scorer, with a strong net-front presence and improving shot from the right wing.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Trent Frederic’s signature moments are his first NHL goal at the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe game in February 2021, his NESN 7th Player Award in 2023–24, and his series-winning goal against the Los Angeles Kings in the 2025 playoffs. His international résumé also includes a silver medal at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and bronze medals at the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships and the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he scored four goals in the bronze-medal game against the Czech Republic.
Trent Frederic Career Wins
Trent Frederic’s professional ledger is built less on trophy cases and more on durable, physical contributions to winning teams. His most meaningful win came in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, when his goal in Game 6 lifted the Edmonton Oilers past the Los Angeles Kings. He has been part of playoff pushes in Boston and Edmonton across multiple seasons, while also capturing medals for the United States at the youth international level.
Boston Bruins Highlights
With the Bruins, Frederic appeared in multiple playoff runs, including the 2020 postseason in the Toronto bubble and the 2022 and 2023 first-round series. Although Boston fell in the first round in 2022 and 2023, Frederic became a regular bottom-six fixture, logging significant penalty-killing minutes and providing physical matchup advantages. His two-way contributions were central to Boston’s 2023–24 regular-season success, when he set career highs in goals and points.
Other Wins & Performances
At the junior international level, Frederic helped the United States claim silver at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, bronze at the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships, and bronze at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring four goals in the latter’s bronze-medal game. He was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Wisconsin’s Most Valuable Player during his lone full freshman college season with the Badgers.
Trent Frederic Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Trent Frederic comes from a hockey family in St. Louis. His parents, Bob and Gaye Frederic, raised him as a Blues fan, and his older brother, Grant Frederic, is also a hockey player. Grant played college ice hockey for four years at Miami University before signing with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL in 2020.
Personal Life
Trent Frederic grew up alongside brother Grant in a St. Louis household that valued sports and competition. Childhood friends and training partners included Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as future NHL players Logan Brown, Clayton Keller, and Luke Kunin. His parents and brother remain closely tied to his hockey journey, with Grant and Trent often facing each other while Trent played for the U.S. national team and Grant with the Green Bay Gamblers.
2025 Season Performance
Trent Frederic’s 2024–25 campaign was split between the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers after his March 4 trade. With Boston, he continued in a familiar bottom-six role, providing physicality, penalty killing, and secondary scoring. He debuted for Edmonton on April 5, 2025, and quickly became a depth contributor as the Oilers prepared for a deep playoff push.
In the 2025 playoffs, Frederic delivered his most memorable moment as an Oiler, scoring the series-clinching goal in Game 6 of the first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Kings on May 1, 2025. The victory sent Edmonton into the second round and underscored the value Edmonton hoped to gain when acquiring him at the deadline. His willingness to engage physically and play a north-south style fit cleanly into Edmonton’s playoff identity.
Looking forward, Frederic’s eight-year extension positions him as a long-term fixture on Edmonton’s bottom six through 2033. With his established role on the penalty kill and growing chemistry on the right wing, his outlook in Edmonton centers on maintaining physical dominance, contributing secondary scoring, and supporting the franchise’s continued pursuit of the Stanley Cup.