Summer Spotlight: Olivier's size, physicality made him a CBJ regular

Number:24

Birth date: Feb. 11, 1997 (age 26)

Birthplace:Biloxi, Miss.

Height, Weight:6-1, 217

2022-23 Stats:66 GP, 5-10-15

Contract: Signed through 2024-25 season (Two years remaining until UFA status)

The way last season developed, the Blue Jackets' fourth line was sometimes that in just name only.

Then-head coach Brad Larsen wasn't afraid to give minutes to the trio of Eric Robinson, Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier if the big, fast, physical group was rolling. For Olivier, who entered the season with just 48 NHL games played, the ability to earn more time on the ice with his play was rewarding as the season went by.

"Sometimes, there's games where we're probably going to play less, and that's fine," Olivier said. "Some nights, maybe I'm the guy that's rolling.

"That's something I appreciate in our coaching staff, and that's fair, I believe. We're trying to win hockey games. Regarding our role, whatever we need to do, we're going to do it."

Olivier not only more than doubled his total of NHL games last, he averaged a career-best 11:38 of ice time and topped the 14-minute mark 16 times. He showed a bomb of a shot at times, but his size, forechecking and physical play were his calling cards.

He also dropped the gloves nine times, a mark that was tied for fifth in the NHL and the most for a CBJ player since Jared Boll had 15 fighting majors in 2014-15. Considering his father was a minor league enforcer who once topped 300 penalty minutes in a season in the CHL, it's clear what runs in the family.

"He said he had to be a little crazier just to get that space out there," Olivier said of his father, who was only 5-11. "We have fun with it. It's always fun to get him to talk about his stories and stuff. He always tells me that I have everything on him (physically), but he's way crazier than I am. I'll let him have that."

Top Moment of 2022-23

Olivier starred in the Feb. 18 road win at Dallas, posting his first career multipoint game with a 1-2-3 line. All three points came in the third period, as he assisted in Adam Boqvist's game-winning tally early in the frame, made it a 3-1 game when he scored a goal in transition by tapping a rebound past Scott Wedgewood, then assisted on Eric Robinson's empty-net goal that finished things off.

Olivier's Top Highlights

Video: Mathieu Olivier's top goals of 2022-23

Stat to Know

Olivier dropped the gloves in three straight games in January, not just a career first but a run that is unique for the Blue Jackets in recent years. It was the first time a CBJ player was assessed a fighting major in three straight games since Boll in January 2012. In fact, the Blue Jackets as a team hadn't had fights in three consecutive games since the spring of 2016.

2023-24 Expectations

The Blue Jackets have a crowd when it comes to filling out the bottom six this upcoming season, but Olivier's size and physicality give him a unique dimension that most of the other players don't have. He provided a much-needed jolt this past season, especially with how the Blue Jackets were pushed around at times in 2021-22, and his abilities will be leaned into again when the Jackets need them. He also showed he can bring some offense, too, when the situation presents itself.

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