William Trudeau

William Trudeau
Born (2002-10-11) October 11, 2002 (age 24)
Varennes, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team Nashville Predators
NHL draft 113th overall, 2021
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 2022–present

William Trudeau (born October 11, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 113th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

Junior

Initially drafted by the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Trudeau began his major junior career with the Charlottetown Islanders after being traded to the team in December 2018. Ranked as the 68th-best prospect amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) for the 2021 NHL entry draft, he was ultimately selected in the fourth round (113th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens. Over the course of three QMJHL seasons, Trudeau amassed 90 total points (20 goals and 70 assists) between 2019 and 2022.

Professional

On October 14, 2022, Trudeau was signed to a three-year entry-level contract by the Canadiens organization. During the ensuing 2022–23 season, his rookie professional campaign, he recorded seven goals and 20 assists in 60 games played for Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

After modest point production in both the 2023–24 and 2024–25 AHL seasons, Trudeau agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens as a restricted free agent on July 3, 2025. Once again assigned to the AHL ranks following a torn pectoral muscle for the 2025–26 season, Trudeau was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Brett Berard on June 26, 2026. He later agreed to a one-year contract with the Rangers.

After being placed on waivers ahead of the 2026–27 season, he was subsequently claimed by the Nashville Predators. Thereafter, Trudeau made his NHL debut against the Dallas Stars on October 3, 2026.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2017–18 Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois QMAAA 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2018–19 Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois QMAAA 42 2 17 19 16 6 2 3 5 2
2019–20 Charlottetown Islanders QMJHL 58 4 11 15 50 — — — — —
2020–21 Charlottetown Islanders QMJHL 40 8 23 31 29 8 0 2 2 4
2021–22 Charlottetown Islanders QMJHL 68 8 36 44 51 14 7 4 11 10
2022–23 Laval Rocket AHL 60 7 20 27 59 2 0 0 0 0
2023–24 Laval Rocket AHL 70 8 16 24 69 — — — — —
2024–25 Laval Rocket AHL 68 5 14 19 54 8 0 3 3 6
2025–26 Laval Rocket AHL 62 8 12 20 54 5 0 0 0 12
AHL totals 260 28 62 90 236 15 0 3 3 18

References

  1. ↑ "2018 QMJHL Entry Draft". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Retrieved October 4, 2026 – via CHL.ca.
  2. ↑ "Islanders continue dealing, trade Joseph to Drummondville for Bernard, prospect, draft picks". Charlottetown Islanders. December 27, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2026 – via CHL.ca.
  3. ↑ Malloy, Jason (November 26, 2019). "Defenceman Will Trudeau shining in rookie season for Charlottetown Islanders". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  4. ↑ "2021 Draft Prospects Rankings". NHL.com. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ Cudzinowski, Matt; Mercier, Pierre-Antoine (July 24, 2021). "2021 NHL Draft: Day 2 Blog". Montreal Canadiens. Retrieved October 4, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  6. ↑ Wheeler, Scott (August 3, 2021). "How Canadiens draftee William Trudeau went from throwaway QMJHL trade piece to NHL prospect". The Athletic. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Three-year, entry-level contract for William Trudeau". Montreal Canadiens. October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  8. ↑ "Trudeau made big strides in rookie year". Laval Rocket. April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  9. ↑ Vézina, Justin (March 9, 2024). "William Trudeau and the challenge of the second season". Laval Rocket. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Canadiens submit qualifying offers to five players". Montreal Canadiens. June 30, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  11. ↑ "One-year contract for defenseman William Trudeau". Montreal Canadiens. July 3, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  12. ↑ "William Trudeau loaned to Laval Rocket". Montreal Canadiens. October 31, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  13. ↑ "Canadiens acquire Brett Berard from Rangers for William Trudeau". Sportsnet.ca. June 26, 2026. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Rangers Agree to Terms with William Trudeau". New York Rangers. July 6, 2026. Retrieved October 2, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  15. ↑ "Rangers' William Trudeau: Hits waivers". CBS Sports. September 25, 2026. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Predators Claim William Trudeau on Waivers From NY Rangers". Nashville Predators. September 26, 2026. Retrieved October 2, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  17. ↑ Gaither, Joe (October 3, 2026). "Two New Nashville Defensemen Make Strong Impressions In First Game". SI.com. Retrieved October 4, 2026.