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Scott Perunovich

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Scott Perunovich
Perunovich with Team USA in 2023
Born (1998-08-18) August 18, 1998 (age 26)
Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team St. Louis Blues
National team  United States
NHL draft 45th overall, 2018
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 2021–present

Scott Douglas Perunovich[1] (born August 18, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey defenceman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Blues in the second round, 45th overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

While playing with the University of Minnesota Duluth, Perunovich was named to the AHCA East First-Team All-American, the NCHC First All-Conference Team, All-Tournament Team, and NCHC All-Rookie team. He won several awards for his outstanding play, including the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year, NCHC Rookie of the Year and Hobey Baker Award.

Internationally, Perunovich has represented the United States at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where they finished in fifth place, and the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning a bronze medal.

Personal life

[edit]

Perunovich was born to Jim and Susan Perunovich[1] on August 18, 1998, in Hibbing, Minnesota.[2] He is of Serbian descent.[3] Perunovich's paternal great-grandparents Nikola (Nicholas) and Stana (Stella) Perunović immigrated to Hibbing from Montenegro; Nikola was a descendant of the Pješivci tribe, and Perunovich's ancestors had fought against the invading colonial Ottoman Empire.[4] He began figure skating lessons at the age of four before eventually joining a hockey team.[5] Although his uncle Doug Torrel played for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs from 1988 to 1992 and was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft,[6] Perunovich was attracted to the school due to the team's success.[7]

Playing career

[edit]

Perunovich attended Hibbing High School from 2014 to 2017, during which he played three seasons of prep school hockey and tennis.[8] While playing for the Hibbing High School Bluejackets Bantam A team in 2014, he was drafted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League (USHL).[9] He opted to continue to play for Hibbing High School, where he led the team to a 37–10–5 record and was named a finalist for Bantam Player Of the Year.[10]

In 2015, Perunovich committed to play Division 1 hockey for the University of Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs starting in the 2017–18 season.[11] Team USA head coach Derek Plante, who had helped Duluth recruit Perunovich, called him a "very crafty, a smart hockey player."[12] The 2015–16 season proved to be one of his best both on the ice and tennis court. As a sophomore and junior, Perunovich and Jake Jolowsky won the Section 7A doubles title and qualified for the Minnesota high school boys tennis state tournament for a third consecutive season.[13] Overall, he won 80 percent of his matches and was named the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune, and Grand Rapids Herald Review Tennis Player of the Year.[8] In January 2016, Perunovich joined the U.S. National Under-18 Team for two games against St. Cloud State.[14] After his senior year, Perunovich then played one season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders during which he struggled being away from home and recorded the worst plus-minus in the league.[5]

Collegiate

[edit]

Perunovich played for the University of Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs from 2017 to 2020, where he enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts, majoring in communications.[1] Perunovich played 42 games for the Bulldogs during the 2017–18 season[1] and recorded his first collegiate goal in a 4–3 loss to Michigan Tech on October 7, 2017.[15] Perunovich ended his freshman season with 36 points, tying fourth nationally among all defenseman and third for freshman. As a result of his outstanding play, Perunovich was named an AHCA East First-Team All-American, NCHC First All-Conference Team, NCHC All-Rookie team, All-Tournament Team, NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year, and NCHC Rookie of the Year. He was the first Minnesota–Duluth Bulldog to be named Rookie of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year and set a new Bulldogs record for most points by a freshman defenceman.[16] His prolific freshman season helped the Bulldogs win the NCAA National Championship title and he was named to the NCAA Frozen Four All–Tournament Team.[17] He was also the first NCHC player to be awarded the Tim Taylor Award as men's Division I National Rookie of the Year.[18]

Perunovich with Andy Strickland (left) at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft

Perunovich's strong play during his rookie season earned him a midterm ranking by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau,[19] for an eventual final rank of 102nd overall for North American Skaters eligible for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[20] When asked to compare his skating, Perunovich says he models his game after NHL defenseman Torey Krug.[21] Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin also often referred to him as a "fourth forward."[22] After he had been passed over in his first two years of eligibility, the St. Louis Blues drafted Perunovich in the second round of the draft on the word of their scouts, Keith Tkachuk and J Niemiec, that he was worth the chance.[21]

Perunovich returned to the Bulldogs for his sophomore season. On October 23, 2018, Perunovich was named the NCAA First Star of the Week after he recorded six points in two back-to-back games against the Maine Black Bears.[23] On January 17, 2019, Perunovich was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award[24] and later for the Offensive Defenseman of the Year.[25] Perunovich helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2019 NCHC Tournament with 27 points, where they competed in the first round against the Omaha Mavericks.[26] On March 13, Perunovich was again selected for the NCHC First All-Conference Team.[27] Although the Bulldogs won the first game of the series against Omaha, Perunovich was forced to sit out due to injury.[28] After returning to the ice, Perunovich helped the Bulldogs defeat St. Cloud State 3–2 to qualify for the NCAA Championship.[29] He was also named the winner of NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year for the second consecutive season.[30] In the first round of the 2019 NCAA Championship, Minnesota-Duluth beat Bowling Green State University 2–1 in overtime to advance to the second round[31] where they faced the Quinnipiac Bobcats. On March 31, the Bulldogs qualified for the Frozen Four with Perunovich recording an assist in the 3–1 win over the Quinnipiac Bobcats.[32] After beating the Providence Friars 4–1,[33] Perunovich was named an AHCA East Second-Team All-American.[34] On April 13, the Bulldogs went on to clinch another NCAA Championship title after a 3–0 win over the UMass Minutemen.[35]

On July 28, 2019, Perunovich committed to another year with the Bulldogs[36] and proved once again to be an asset to the team. During his junior season, Perunovich ranked second in the National Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) in assists with 34 and becoming the first defenceman to lead the NCHA in scoring.[37] After his collegiate season was suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic, Perunovich signed a contract with the St. Louis Blues allowing him to play with the team if the NHL season continues.[38] He was later announced the winner of the 2020 Hobey Baker Award for being the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player[39] and NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year for the third consecutive season.[40] Perunovich became the sixth Bulldogs player in the team's history to receive the Hobey Baker Award.[37]

Professional

[edit]

Following the conclusion of his junior year with the Bulldogs, Perunovich ended his collegiate career by agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract with his drafting club, the St. Louis Blues, on March 28, 2020.[41] He was re-assigned to the Blues' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets, to begin the 2020–21 season.[42] In February, it was announced that Perunovich would miss most of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery.[43]

In September 2021, Perunovich was named team captain of the St. Louis Blues Prospects Team during the NHL's prospect tournament in Traverse City.[44] Following the tournament, he competed with the Blues during their preseason games.[45] Prior to the start of the 2021–22 season, Perunovich was re-assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.[46]

Perunovich made his NHL debut with the Blues on November 18, 2021 in a game against the San Jose Sharks, scoring his first NHL point with an assist.[47]

On June 24, 2023, as a restricted free agent, Perunovich was signed to a one-year, $775,000 contract extension with the Blues.[48]

International play

[edit]
Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 United States

Perunovich has represented the United States at various international tournaments at the junior level. In 2015, he was invited to participate with Team USA at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament,[49] where they finished in fifth place.[50]

In December 2017, Perunovich was selected for the United States men's national junior ice hockey team preliminary roster prior to the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[51] After making the final cut, he scored one goal and two assists during the tournament to help Team USA win a bronze medal.[52] His only goal of the tournament came during the first outdoor World Juniors game to eliminate a two-goal deficit and beat Team Canada 4–3.[53]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2016–17 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 56 6 15 21 14 — — — — —
2017–18 University of Minnesota–Duluth NCHC 42 11 25 36 36 — — — — —
2018–19 University of Minnesota–Duluth NCHC 39 3 26 29 32 — — — — —
2019–20 University of Minnesota–Duluth NCHC 34 6 34 40 64 — — — — —
2021–22 St. Louis Blues NHL 19 0 6 6 8 7 0 4 4 0
2021–22 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 17 3 19 22 8 — — — — —
2022–23 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 22 2 18 20 12 2 0 0 0 0
2023–24 St. Louis Blues NHL 54 0 17 17 12 — — — — —
NHL totals 73 0 23 23 20 7 0 4 4 0

International

[edit]
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2015 United States IH18 5th 4 0 0 0 2
2018 United States WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 1 2 3 2
2023 United States WC 4th 10 1 7 8 0
Junior totals 11 1 2 3 4
Senior totals 10 1 7 8 0

Awards and honors

[edit]
Award Year Ref
USHS
All-USA Hockey First Team 2016 [54]
College
AHCA West First Team All–American 2018, 2020 [16][55]
NCHC First All-Conference Team 2018, 2019
All–Tournament Team 2018
NCHC All–Rookie Team 2018
NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year 2018, 2019, 2020
NCHC Rookie of the Year 2018
Tim Taylor Award 2018 [18]
AHCA West Second Team All-American 2019 [34]
Hobey Baker Award 2020 [39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Scott Perunovich". umdbulldogs.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "Scott Perunovich". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. ^ One-on-One: Scott Perunovich, retrieved November 19, 2021
  4. ^ Stojakovic, Mike (April 12, 2020). "Perunovich wins the Hobey Baker Memorial Award". Britic. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Casey, Tim (April 17, 2020). "Scott Perunovich, 2020 Hobey Baker Award Winner, Is Patiently Waiting To Make NHL Debut With Blues". Forbes. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "2018 U.S. National Junior Team Games Notes" (PDF). December 22, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  7. ^ Legwin, Jack (December 6, 2018). "Scott Perunovich is Overcoming the Odds". btshockey.com. Beyond the Ice. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Perunovich Is Top Boys Player". Hibbing Daily Tribune. Gary Giombetti. July 5, 2016. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  9. ^ "Meet The RoughRiders – Scott Perunovich". The Gazette. October 10, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  10. ^ Scott, Tony (March 13, 2014). "Bantam Player of the Year Finalists". youthhockeyhub.com. Youth Hockey Hub. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Hibbing's Perunovich is Able to Focus with Early Commitment". fox21online.com. Fox. December 25, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  12. ^ Wellens, Matt (August 7, 2015). "Future UMD hockey players begin quest for gold". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  13. ^ "Prep report: Hibbing duo, Marshall's Summers win sections". Duluth News Tribune. May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  14. ^ "Apollo". St. Cloud Times. January 29, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  15. ^ Wellens, Matt (October 7, 2017). "College men's hockey: Michigan Tech denies UMD Ice Breaker title". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Ali, Sam (April 6, 2018). "UMD's Perunovich Named NCAA Rookie of the Year". fox21online.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  17. ^ "Great Scott! Perunovich is USCHO.COM Rookie Of The Year; Sandelin Coach Of The Year". umdbulldogs.com. April 12, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Bulldogs Defenseman Honored By HCA As Top Freshman In The Country; First NCHC Player To Win Award". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  19. ^ Gilligan, Jimmy (January 25, 2018). "Bulldogs Thrive Off Homegrown Heroes". nchchockey.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  20. ^ "2018 Draft Prospect Rankings". NHL.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  21. ^ a b Korac, Louie (July 29, 2018). "Perunovich aiming to raise stock for Blues". NHL.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  22. ^ Wellens, Matt (November 24, 2017). "College men's hockey: UMD freshman Perunovich off to flying start". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  23. ^ Bedics, Mark (October 23, 2018). "College hockey: Scott Perunovich among three stars of the week after notching six points vs. Maine". ncaa.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  24. ^ "13 NCHC Student-Athletes Nominated For 2019 Hobey Baker Award". nchchockey.com. January 17, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  25. ^ "Sandelin and Five Bulldogs Up For NCHC Postseason Awards". umdbulldogs.com. March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  26. ^ "NCHC Playoff Push Begins This Weekend For NO. 4 UMD With Quartarfinal Round Home Series Against Omaha". umdbulldogs.com. March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  27. ^ "Program-Record Five Bulldogs Receive 2018-19 All-NCHC Honors". umdbulldogs.com. March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  28. ^ "UNO hockey takes overtime loss to defending champs Minnesota Duluth in NCHC quarterfinals". omaha.com. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  29. ^ Wellens, Matt (March 24, 2019). "Thumbs up, thumbs down, three stars: Bulldogs get big kills, thrive with jumbled lines to beat Huskies for NCHC Frozen Faceoff title". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  30. ^ "SCSU, UMD Haul In 2018-19 Year-End Honors At Annual NCHC Awards Celebration". nchchockey.com. March 21, 2019. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  31. ^ Roman J. Uschak (March 30, 2019). "Minnesota Duluth's Koepke and Mackay connect twice to down Bowling Green, 2-1, in OT to advance in Midwest Regional". uscho.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  32. ^ Wellens, Matt (March 31, 2019). "College men's hockey: Bulldogs heading back to Frozen Four via 3-1 win over Quinnipiac". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  33. ^ "UMD Wins In Frozen Four, Will Play UMass For NCAA Title Saturday". wdio.com. April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  34. ^ a b "UMD's Shepard and Perunovich Names All-Americans For 2018-19". umdbulldogs.com. April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  35. ^ Mahoney, Andrew (April 14, 2019). "UMass draws a complete blank in NCAA men's hockey final". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  36. ^ Korac, Louie (July 28, 2019). "Perunovich chooses another year of college before joining Blues". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  37. ^ a b "Scott Perunovich sets record as 6th Bulldogs recipient of Hobey Baker Award". cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Associated Press. April 12, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  38. ^ Wellens, Matt (March 27, 2020). "College men's hockey: Bulldogs' Perunovich agrees to terms with St. Louis Blues". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  39. ^ a b "Scott Perunovich Wins Hobey Baker Award". kbjr6.com. April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  40. ^ "Perunovich and Shepard Repeat As NCHC Offensive Defenseman and Goaltender of the Year Award Winners". umdbulldogs.com. March 24, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  41. ^ "Perunovich agrees to entry-level contract with Blues". St. Louis Blues. March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  42. ^ "Blues set season-opening roster; Kyrou, MacEachern among players on taxi squad". Fox Sports. January 12, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  43. ^ "Perunovich to undergo shoulder surgery". nhl.com. National Hockey League. February 11, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  44. ^ Ali, Sam (September 16, 2021). "Hibbing Native, Former UMD Star Scott Perunovich to Captain St. Louis Blues Prospects Team". Fox 21. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  45. ^ Timmerman, Tom (September 28, 2021). "Blues notebook: Neighbours getting a close look in preseason". Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  46. ^ "Blues assign 3 players to Thunderbirds". National Hockey League. October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  47. ^ "Perunovich scores first NHL point". National Hockey League. November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  48. ^ "Perunovich signs one-year contract extension". St. Louis Blues. June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  49. ^ "16 Recruits to Play for Hlinka". collegehockeyinc.com. College Hockey Inc. July 2, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  50. ^ "Scott Perunovich". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  51. ^ Wellens, Matt (December 13, 2017). "Minnesota Duluth's Perunovich fighting for spot on junior national hockey team". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  52. ^ Wawrow, John (January 5, 2018). "U.S. wins world junior hockey bronze with 9-3 win over Czech Rep". ctvnews.ca. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  53. ^ Chidley-Hill, John (December 29, 2017). "U.S. beats Canada in shootout at first world junior outdoor game". The Globe and Mail. Canadian Press. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  54. ^ "Awards - USHS All-USA Hockey First Team". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  55. ^ "SCSU, UMD Dominate 2018-19 NCHC All-Conference Teams". Nchchockey.com. March 13, 2019. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by NCHC Rookie of the Year
2017–18 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year
2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Tim Taylor Award
2017–18 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NCHC Player of the Year
2019–20 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Hobey Baker Award
2019–20 		Succeeded by
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