Papineau was born in Ottawa, Ontario.
As a youth, he played in the 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from South Ottawa.
He was drafted in the second round, #46 overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

He was then re-selected in the third round, #75 overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft when the Kings were unable to sign him to a contract within the two-year deadline and retain his rights.
It was reported that negotiations between the team's front office and Papineau broke down at least partially due to the involvement an overbearing agent demanding a huge entry contract.

Papineau has played 81 career NHL games for the Blues and New York Islanders, scoring 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points.
Papineau was once compared to star Steve Yzerman, but those comparisons never came to fruition at the NHL level.
He left then on 6 April 2009 EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams to sign with Adler Mannheim.
Papineau was born in Ottawa, Ontario. As a youth, he played in the 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from South Ottawa. He was drafted in the second round, #46 overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
He was then re-selected in the third round, #75 overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft when the Kings were unable to sign him to a contract within the two-year deadline and retain his rights. It was reported that negotiations between the team's front office and Papineau broke down at least partially due to the involvement an overbearing agent demanding a huge entry contract.
Papineau has played 81 career NHL games for the Blues and New York Islanders, scoring 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points. Papineau was once compared to star Steve Yzerman, but those comparisons never came to fruition at the NHL level. He left then on 6 April 2009 EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams to sign with Adler Mannheim.
Justin Papineau