When Pascal Rheaume's name is mentioned in hockey circles, there tends to be an air of familiarity that inevitable leads to a mention of his sister, Manon Rheaume, the first female goaltender to appear in an NHL exhibition game. As for Pascal, his ascent to the big leagues has had none of the stardust enjoyed, however briefly, by his sister. He played his junior hockey for the Trois-Rivieres Draveurs and the Sherbrooke Faucons of the QMJHL from 1991 to 1993. And although his performance was strong, he was passed over in the NHL draft. Undaunted, he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils' organization in 1993. He never caught on with the Devils, however, and spent virtually all of his first four pro seasons in the AHL with the Albany River Rats. In 1997, the St. Louis Blues in the Waiver Draft claimed him. And with the Blues, Rheaume finally got enough game action to confirm that holding onto an NHL level job would not be easy. His attributes include a tremendous level of exuberance that he brings to every shift. He is also a sound defensive forward who can play on the wing and at centre. But despite his strengths, a serious shoulder injury in 1999-00 put him out of action for most of the year. Since then, his career aspirations have been curtailed. He has been unable to transfer his junior scoring touch to the NHL level.

Rheaume remained with the Blues' organization until 2001. It was at that time that he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks. After starting the 2001-02 campaign with the Blackhawks, Rheaume was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers after only 19 games in Chicago. The feisty winger played parts of two seasons with the Thrashers before being acquired by the New Jersey Devils in the latter stages of the 2002-03 season. The trade proved fortuitous for Rheaume as the Devils captured their third Stanley Cup title in nine years. Following a Cup win in New Jersey, Rheaume joined the New York Rangers for the 2003-04 NHL season. Upon his arrival with the Blueshirts, Rheaume went on to split his time with the parent club in New York and its AHL affiliate in Hartford before being claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Blues prior to the 2004 NHL All-Star game. In the summer of 2004, Rheaume was re-acquired by the New Jersey Devils and spent the entire 2004-05 season and the early portion of the 2005-06 season with the club's AHL affiliate in Albany before being dealt to the Phoenix Coyotes in November of 2005.