Maxime Talbot

Maxime "Max" Talbot (born February 11, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Talbot was drafted into the NHL out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 234th overall, in 2002. He led the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups while earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP both years. During his NHL career, he has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins.
During the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, while still playing for Pittsburgh, Talbot scored his team's only two goals in Pittsburgh's 2–1 victory over Detroit in the series-deciding Game 7, securing the Penguins' Stanley Cup championship win. 
==Playing career==
===Amateur===
Talbot was selected by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the first round of the 2000 QMJHL Draft. At the League trade deadline that year, Talbot was dealt to the Hull Olympiques in exchange for Alexandre Giroux. Talbot completed his major junior rookie season with a combined 37 points between the two teams.
Before the start of the 2002–03 season, Talbot was named team captain for the Olympiques and finished the year with a major junior career-high 46 goals and 104 points in 69 games, good for fifth in League scoring and for QMJHL Second All-Star Team honours. In the playoffs that year, he led the League in scoring with 44 points in 20 games as he captained the Olympiques to a QMJHL Championship, also earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP in the process. Playing the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Kitchener Rangers in the final of the subsequent 2003 Memorial Cup, they were defeated by a 6–3 score.
In the 2003–04 season, Talbot finished third in scoring in the QMJHL with 98 points (25 goals and 73 assists) in 51 games as the team became the Gatineau Olympiques through the almagamation of Hull into the City of Gatineau. He led the team to a second consecutive QMJHL championship while again being named playoff MVP and leading the League in post-season scoring for the second-straighy year. He was the first to earn back-to-back Guy Lafleur Trophies since Marc Saumier in 1987 and 1988. The Olympiques were, however, defeated for the second-straight year in the Memorial Cup Final, losing to the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Kelowna Rockets 2–1.
===Pittsburgh Penguins===
As the 2004–05 season approached, Talbot was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and was assigned to make his debut with the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was assigned to various linemates and was placed in many role playing opportunities. He did not have the offensive power in the AHL, however, that he did in the QMJHL, but nonetheless Talbot showed quality traits in other aspects of the game as he finished his debut season with 19 points (seven goals and 12 assists) in 75 games.
With an impressive training camp, Talbot made the Penguins' opening roster for the 2005–06 season, making his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils. He scored his first career NHL goal on October 14, 2005, from centre ice against the Philadelphia Flyers. His primary role during his rookie season was that of a penalty killer. He would later be sent back down to the AHL after 48 games in the NHL, during which time he recorded eight points (five goals and three assists).
Talbot did not start the 2006–07 season in the NHL, but was recalled by Pittsburgh on October 24, 2006, just five games into the AHL season. He would play that same night against New Jersey. Talbot continued to play a key role on the penalty kill, recording four short-handed goals to go with a season total of 24 points (13 goals and 11 assists).
Talbot scored four goals in the first five games of the 2007–08 season. He was the part of an on-ice prank on December 1, 2007, when he briefly donned the jersey of teammate Sidney Crosby during an optional practice that Crosby had chosen to skip. He initially drew a large cheer from the crowd in Toronto before they realized the jersey switch.
In Game 3 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Talbot scored a backhand goal against Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber less than five minutes after the Senators had taken the lead in that game. In the Conference Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, Talbot scored the game-winning goal in the third period of Game 2. He did this in his first game back from a broken foot that had sidelined him for the previous four playoff games. In Game 5 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, he scored the tying goal with 35 seconds remaining, allowing the Penguins to score in triple overtime to force a Game 6. 
 
Midway through the final year of his initial contract with the Penguins, 2008–09, Talbot re-signed on December 19, 2008, to a two-year contract extension through the 2010–11 season. The Penguins returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive year against Detroit. Talbot scored both of the Penguins' goals in the seventh and deciding game of the series to capture the franchise's third Stanley Cup.
For the 2009–10 season, Talbot served as the Penguins representative to the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a position he took over from Matt Cooke.
Whilst playing for the Penguins, Talbot has appeared in numerous television commercials, including Valley Pool and Spa, City of Champions Crunch cereal (which featured Talbot on one side of the box and Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward on the other), and three commercials for Pittsburgh A&L Motor Sales (these A&L commercials have earned him the nickname "Superstar"). He also appeared in an Reebok commercial with teammate Sidney Crosby which aired during the 2010 NHL Winter Classic.
While promoting the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, Talbot called out Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin during an interview with a Pittsburgh radio station, calling him "a real douche."
===Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche ===
thumb|258x258px|Talbot returns to Pittsburgh as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.
After being unable to come to terms with the Penguins on a new contract, Talbot signed a five-year, $8.75 million contract with the Penguin's in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers on July 1, 2011. On December 29, 2011, during a 4–2 Philadelphia victory, Talbot scored an empty net goal in his first game back in Pittsburgh against the Penguins since signing with the Flyers. He would finish his first season in Philadelphia appearing in 81 regular season games, scoring 19 goals and 15 assists for a total of 34 points; all three statistics were NHL career-highs for Talbot. Talbot and the Flyers would ultimately face the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2012 playoffs, a series that saw the Flyers defeat the Penguins in six games. Talbot scored four goals during the series, two of which were short-handed.
After the first month of the 2013–14 season with the Flyers, Talbot was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Steve Downie on October 31, 2013. On December 6, 2013, Talbot scored his first Avalanche goal in a 3–2 win over the Calgary Flames.
===Boston Bruins===
With the Avalanche on the outside of the 2015 playoff picture, Talbot was traded at the NHL trade deadline on March 2, 2015, along with Paul Carey, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Jordan Caron and a sixth-round draft pick in 2016.
On December 21, 2015, the NHL announced that it was suspending Talbot for two games because of a hit on New Jersey Devils forward Jiri Tlusty in a game on Dec. 20.
At the conclusion of his contract with the Bruins, and as an impending free agent, Talbot opted to continue his career abroad in the Kontinental Hockey League, agreeing to a one-year deal with Russian club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on May 27, 2016.
==International play==
Talbot helped Canada win a silver medal as an alternate captain during the 2004 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
In 2016, Talbot was a member of Team Canada at the 2016 Deutschland Cup.
==Personal life==
Talbot's father, Serge, is a construction worker; his mother Lucie is a high school teacher. Talbot has two older brothers, Will and Frank.
Talbot married former Canadian figure skating champion Cynthia Phaneuf on July 11, 2014. The couple has two children.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2000–01 	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 	QMJHL 	 	40 	9 	15 	24 	78 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Hull Olympiques 	QMJHL 	 	24 	6 	7 	13 	60 	 	5 	1 	0 	1 	2
2001–02 	Hull Olympiques 	QMJHL 	 	65 	24 	36 	60 	174 	 	12 	4 	6 	10 	51
2002–03 	Hull Olympiques 	QMJHL 	 	69 	46 	58 	104 	130 	 	20 	14 	30 	44 	33
2003–04 	Gatineau Olympiques 	QMJHL 	 	51 	25 	73 	98 	41 	 	15 	11 	16 	27 	0
2004–05 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 	 	75 	7 	12 	19 	62 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	22
2005–06 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	48 	5 	3 	8 	59 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 	 	42 	12 	20 	32 	80 	 	11 	3 	6 	9 	16
2006–07 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	75 	13 	11 	24 	53 	 	5 	0 	1 	1 	7
2006–07 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 	 	5 	4 	0 	4 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	63 	12 	14 	26 	53 	 	17 	3 	6 	9 	36
2008–09 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	75 	12 	10 	22 	63 	 	24 	8 	5 	13 	19
2009–10 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	45 	2 	5 	7 	30 	 	13 	2 	4 	6 	11
2010–11 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	82 	8 	13 	21 	66 	 	7 	1 	3 	4 	14
2011–12 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	81 	19 	15 	34 	59 	 	11 	4 	2 	6 	10
2012–13 	Ilves 	SM-l 	 	12 	3 	3 	6 	34 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	35 	5 	5 	10 	23 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	11 	1 	1 	2 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	70 	7 	18 	25 	43 	 	7 	0 	0 	0 	4
2014–15 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	63 	5 	10 	15 	27 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	18 	0 	3 	3 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	38 	2 	5 	7 	15 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Providence Bruins 	AHL 	 	26 	10 	11 	21 	14 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	2
2016-17 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	KHL 	 	60 	15 	21 	36 	63 	 	15 	5 	2 	7 	17
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	704 	91 	113 	204 	495 	 	84 	18 	21 	39 	101
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	Result 		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2001 	Canada Quebec	U17 	5th 		5 	1	2	3 	2
2004 	Canada 	WJC 	 		6 	0	3	3 	2
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		11	1	5	6 	4
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honours==
Awards 	Year 	
QMJHL 	QMJHL 	QMJHL
Second All-Star Team 	2003, 2004	
Guy Lafleur Trophy 	2003, 2004	
President's Cup (Hull/Gatineau Olympiques)	2003, 2004	
NHL 	NHL 	NHL
Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh Penguins) 	2009 	
==References==
==External links==
* Maxime Talbot's stats on hockeydb
*Max Talbot Foundation
Category:Born in 1984
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Gatineau Olympiques alumni
Category:Hull Olympiques alumni
Category:Ilves players
Category:Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players
Category:Memorial Cup winners
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Providence Bruins players
Category:Rouyn-Noranda Huskies alumni
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players