Colton Parayko
Colton Parayko (born May 12, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Blues in the third round, 86th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Parayko won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Blues in 2019.
| Colton Parayko | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Parayko practicing with the Blues in 2015 | |||
| Born |
May 12, 1993 St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | ||
| Weight | 230 lb (104 kg; 16 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | St. Louis Blues | ||
| National team |
.svg.png){kind=small} | ||
| NHL Draft |
86th overall, 2012 St. Louis Blues | ||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Playing career
College
Parayko played collegiate hockey for the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the NCAA Men's Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). In his sophomore year with the Nanooks ice hockey team, Parayko's outstanding play was rewarded with a selection to the 2013–14 All-WCHA First Team.[1]
Professional
At the completion of his junior season with the Nanooks, Parayko ended his collegiate career in signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues. He was assigned to St. Louis' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to finish the 2014–15 season on March 10, 2015.[2] Parayko appeared in 79 games for the Blues the following season, recording 33 points.
On January 8, 2017, at the Blues' team skills competition, Parayko recorded the hardest shot of the day at 104 miles per hour,[3] besting the record at the league-wide skills competition that year (102.8 miles per hour).[4] On July 21, 2017, the Blues re-signed Parayko to a five-year, $27.5 million contract worth $5.5 million annually.[5]
Parayko won the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals with the Blues, St. Louis' first Stanley Cup in their 52-year franchise history.
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing | ||
| World Championship | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2017 Germany/France | |
Parayko was picked as part of Team North America, a selection of the top American and Canadian players aged 23 and under, at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.[6] He played in three games for Team North America, recording three assists.
After the Blues were eliminated in the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, Parayko joined Canada at the 2017 World Championship, where he registered seven points (three goals and four assists) and was named an All-Star.[7] The Canadians would lose to Sweden in a shootout at the finals.[7]
Personal life
On August 12, 2016, Parayko graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in Business Administration.[8] On earning his degree, Parayko said, "Hockey can only last so long. I'm going to have to work after hockey... Having a degree in my back pocket is obviously a bonus."[8]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Fort McMurray Oil Barons | AJHL | 42 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Fort McMurray Oil Barons | AJHL | 53 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 65 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 14 | ||
| 2012–13 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | CCHA | 33 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | WCHA | 37 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | WCHA | 34 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 17 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2015–16 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 79 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 29 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 81 | 4 | 31 | 35 | 32 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 82 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 80 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 15 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 10 | ||
| 2019–20 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 64 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 16 | |||||||
| NHL totals | 386 | 39 | 120 | 159 | 105 | 57 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 16 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-WCHA First Team | 2014 | [9] |
| AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 2014 | |
| All-WCHA First Team | 2015 | [10] |
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Rookie Team | 2016 | |
| Stanley Cup (St. Louis Blues) | 2019 | [11] |
| International | ||
| WC All-Star Team | 2017 | |
References
- O'Donnell, Tim (March 14, 2014). "Kunyk, Parayko make All-WCHA first team". NewsMiner.com. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- "Blues sign Parayko to entry-level deal". St. Louis Blues. March 10, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- "Parayko hits 104 mph slap shot at Blues skills competition". foxsports.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "2017 NHL All-Star Skills Competition Results". NHL.com. January 28, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "Blues agree to five-year deal with defenceman Colton Parayko". sportsnet.ca. July 20, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- Morreale, Mike G. (May 27, 2016). "Team North America releases roster". NHL.com. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- Howlett, Trevor (May 27, 2017). "Parayko earns silver at World Championships". St. Albert Gazette. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- "Parayko Graduates with Class of 2016". St. Louis Blues. August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- "Kunyk, Daniels take top WCHA honors". collegehockeynews.com. March 13, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- "All-WCHA Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- "Blues win cup for first time, defeat Bruins in Game 7 of final". National Hockey League. June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nick Jensen |
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year 2013–14 2014–15 |
Succeeded by Casey Nelson |