It takes a lot to make it all the way to the NHL. Just ask Paul Bissonnette. At one point, he thought his career was over. Then, one day, he got a phone call. The call forced him to make a tough decision, but it also paved his way to the NHL.
Today, Paul Bissonnette is one of hockey’s most recognizable faces. He is the co-host of the popular podcast Spittin’ Chiclets, and he regularly appears on the NHL on TNT studio show. Where he has become extremely popular for his shenanigans and sense of humor.
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Paul Bissonnette NHL career
But as a player, Paul Bissonnette’s path to the NHL—where he played 202 games—was anything but straightforward. Originally a defenseman, Bissonnette was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003. However, after getting into a bit of trouble, he found himself playing in the ECHL. On the podcast Games with Names, hosted by former NFL star Julian Edelman, Bissonnette shared the winding road that eventually led him to the NHL.
The call that changed everything
“So I started my professional career in the ECHL, basically the lowest league. And slowly worked my way up. After getting in a little more trouble, I basically thought my career was over. At that point, I was a defenseman, and they called me up to the AHL and said, ‘We’re gonna make you a fourth-line fighter,’” Bissonnette said on the podcast.
That phone call forced Paul Bissonnette to make a tough decision—to keep grinding in the minors or accept his new role and take a step closer to the NHL.
“I said, ‘Fuck it, if this is my only path to maybe get into the NHL, I’ll do it.’ So I started scrapping. I got beat up a lot. Guys in the AHL at that time were taking steroids. I was getting the shit kicked out of me. Eventually, by playing that position and sticking with it, I finally made it to the big leagues with Pittsburgh,” Bissonnette recalled.
In his 202 NHL games, Paul Bissonnette racked up 340 penalty minutes.
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