From Mississippi to the NHL:Â A Look at Mathieu Olivier the first Mississippian to ever play in the NHL
Columbus Blue Jackets Right Wing Mathieu Olivier moved around a lot as a kid. First in Biloxi, then Oklahoma City, Houston, Louisville and Springfield, Mass. He spent the first few years of his elementary years living in Germany. Before finishing out his grade school years in Quebec. But it would be his time spent in Biloxi that would make for an interesting stat when he would reach his 20’s. Not that he would remember any of it as he would only spend his first three months of his life there. But when he made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators during the 2019-20 NHL Season, he made history as the first ever Mississippi born player to ever make it to the NHL
Olivier was born February 11, 1997, in Biloxi’s Cedar Lake Hospital. The son of minor league hockey player Simon Olivier, who was playing for the first year Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL. Simon was a journeyman hockey player from Quebec, who played all over the country and in Germany. Each of those stops his son moved with him and played youth hockey throughout each of these stops, along with being exposed to different languages and cultures. Despite his transient childhood, Olivier’s passion for hockey remained strong.Â
After his dad retired in 2009 the family settled down in Quebec.  Inspired by his dad’s hockey career Mathieu was a standout hockey player himself joining Moncton Wildcats of the prestigious Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2013. He would play in the QMJHL over the next 5 seasons quickly becoming one of the league’s top players.
Despite being undrafted in the NHL Draft he would sign a contract with the Nashville Predators in 2018, marking the beginning of his professional hockey career.  He began the season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL before being called up to the Nashville Predators on November 19, 2019. He would play three seasons with the Predators before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to the 2022-23 season. He has quickly become one of the top NHL players since being traded to Columbus. His hard work and play on the ice recently resulted in a new 6-year, $18 million contract.
In the world of professional hockey, where the sport is often dominated by players from traditional hockey hotbeds like Canada and Russia, Mathieu Olivier’s journey to the NHL stands out. As the first player from Mississippi to reach the highest level of professional hockey, he has broken barriers and inspired countless young athletes from non-traditional hockey regions to continue to pursue their dreams. Hopefully one day Mississippi will have a competitive youth hockey market.
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