A Flame From the Past: Yves Sarault

Do you remember Yves Sarault?

Every once in a while, we take a look at a player who once played for the Calgary Flames in a series called “A Flame From the Past.” This player has to have played a significant number of games for the Flames. I’ll put every Flames’ season into a Wheel of Names, and this time, it landed on the 1995-96 season. In this article, we’ll look at Yves Sarault.

In this series, I’ve focused on players  who played at least half a season on the team. For this edition, I’ve broken that rule because Sarault’s career is so damn fascinating. Sarault was born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, a small city south west of Montréal and very nice to walk around in. It also happens to be the hometown of current Flames prospect Étienne Morin.

Sarault began his junior career with the Victoriaville Tigres of the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, debuting in 1989-90. That season, he scored 12 goals and 40 points in 70 games, with 140 penalty minutes. In 16 post-season games, Sarault had three assists.

The following season, Sarault spent his draft year with the Saint-Jean Lynx, scoring 22 goals and 46 points in 56 games, with 113 penalty minutes. That led to the Montréal Canadiens selecting Sarault with the 61st overall pick in 1991. However, he spent another season in the QMJHL.

Beginning the 1991-92 season with the Lynx, Sarault scored 28 goals and 66 points in 50 games. He was traded to the contending Trois-Rivières Draveurs, finishing the season with 16 goals and 30 points in 18 regular season games. That post-season, he scored another 10 goals and 20 points in 15 games.

Sarault began his professional career with the American Hockey League’s Fredericton Canadiens, his fourth team in his second league. He scored 14 goals and 31 points in 59 games, with an assist in three playoff games. He played two games with the ECHL’s Wheeling Thunderbirds as well, five teams and three leagues.

Still with the Canadiens’ AHL team, Sarault scored 13 goals and 27 points in 60 games. Most of his 1994-95 was spent in the AHL with the Canadiens, scoring 24 goals and 45 points. However, Sarault made his NHL debut that season, picking up an assist in eight games.

The 1995-96 season was split between three teams, one being the Flames. He played 14 games for the Canadiens before being traded. After joining the Flames, most of his season was spent with the AHL’s Saint John Flames, scoring 10 goals and 22 points in 26 games. In his 11 games with the Flames,, he had two goals and three points.

Sarault joined the Colorado Avalanche’s organization for the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. In 1996-97, he scored two goals and three points in 28 games, but was held pointless in five post-season games. The only taste of NHL playoffs he had. Sarault also played six AHL games for the Hershey Bears, scoring twice and adding three assists.

Most of his 1997-98 season was spent with the Bears, scoring 23 goals and 59 points in 63 games. He only played two games for the Avalanche, scoring once. For the 1998-99 season, he joined the Ottawa Senators organization, playing 11 games with an assist. His 1998-99 season was mainly spent with the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League, where he scored 11 goals and 23 points in 36 games, with seven goals and nine points in 11 playoff games.

Sarault played another 11 games with the Senators in 1999-200, but spent most of his season with the IHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. His 1999-2000 IHL season saw the forward score 17 goals and 43 points in 62 games, with seven goals and 11 points in 17 playoff games.

The wild ride of Sarault’s career continues, joining the Atlanta Thrashers in their sophomore season. In 20 games with the Thrashers, he scored five goals and nine points in 20 games, a career-best. That said, most of his 2000-01 season was spent with the Orlando Solar Bears of the IHL.

Sarault played one game for the Nashville Predators in 2001-02 after being claimed off waivers, his final NHL game. Most of his 2001-02 season was spent in the AHL, playing 27 games for the Milwaukee Admirals and seven for the Philadelphia Phantoms after being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. Sarault’s final season playing in an NHL organization was in 2002-03, playing four games for the AHL’s Springfield Falcons.

The 2002-03 season marked the beginning of the second half of his career. He played 14 games with Bern SC in the National League in Switzerland, scoring four goals and 14 points. Additionally, he played seven games for the Thetford Mines Prolab of the Ligue de hockey semi-professionnelle du Québec.

He spent parts of three seasons with Bern SC, playing 40 games with them in 2003-04, scoring 15 goals and 45 points in 40 games, with six goals and 13 points in 15 playoff games. In 2004-05, Sarault scored 11 goals and 32 points in 41 games for Bern SC.

Still in Switzerland, Sarault played the 2005-06 season with Genève-Servette. The forward split his 2006-07 season between HC Davos and then second tier team SC Langenthal. Sarault had a similar 2006-07 season, playing 38 games with EHC Basel in the NL, and three games with EHC Olten in Switzerland’s second tier.

That wrapped up Sarault’s playing career in Switzerland, as he joined ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for 2008-09, scoring eight goals and 17 points in 40 games. Then in 2009-10, Sarault joined the Vienna Capitals, scoring three goals and nine points in 17 games. He also returned to the QSPHL, which now went by Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey.  He played two games with Rivière-du-Loup 3L in 2009-10.

Sarault’s time in the professional leagues were done after his time in Austria, but he played another four seasons in the LNAH. Two of which were with Rivière-du-Loup 3L, and the other two with the Cornwall River Kings, just an hour drive away from his hometown of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.

During his playing days, he represented Team Canada at the Spengler Cup a handful of times. Since retiring, he’s been behind the bench of Swiss teams since 2014-15. What a career Sarault had. And it just so happens he’s a father of an Olympic medalist, as his daughter, Courtney Sarault, is won two silvers and two bronzes at the 2026 Winter Olympics.