Scott Perunovich

Scott Douglas Perunovich[1] (born August 18, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing as a prospect to 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.

Scott Perunovich
Born	August 18, 1998 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
NHL Draft	45th overall, 2018 St. Louis Blues
Playing career	TBA–present

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, NCHC All-Rookie team, 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

Perunovich was born to parents Jim and Susan Perunovich[1] on August 18, 1998, in Hibbing, Minnesota.[2] He grew up with two older siblings, Lisa and Jeffrey.[3] He began figure skating lessons at the age of four before eventually joining a hockey team.[4] Although his uncle Doug Torrel played for the Bulldogs from 1988 to 1992 and was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft,[5] Perunovich wished to attend the University of Minnesota due to their teams success.[6]

Playing career

Perunovich attended Hibbing High School from 2014 to 2017, during which he played three seasons of prep school hockey and tennis.[7] 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).[8] 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.[9]

In 2015, Perunovich committed to play Division 1 hockey for the University of Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs starting in the 2017–18 season.[10] Team USA head coach Derek Plante, who had helped Minnesota recruit Perunovich, called him a "very crafty, a smart hockey player."[11] The 2015–16 season proved to be one of his best both on the ice and tennis court. As a 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.[12] 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.[7] In January 2016, Perunovich joined the U.S. National Under-18 Team for two games against St. Cloud State.[13] 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.[4]

Collegiate

Perunovich played for the University of Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs from 2017 to 2020, where he enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts to major 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16] He was also the first NCHC player to be awarded the Tim Taylor Award as men's Division I National Rookie of the Year.[17]

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,[18] for an eventual final rank of 102nd overall for North American Skaters eligible for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[19] When asked to compare his skating, Perunovich says he models his game after NHL defenseman Torey Krug.[20] Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin also often referred to him as a "fourth forward."[21] 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.[20]

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.[22] On January 17, 2019, Perunovich was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award[23] and later for the Offensive Defenseman of the Year.[24] Perunovich helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2019 NCHC Tournament with 27 points, where they competed in the first round against the Omaha Mavericks.[25] On March 13, Perunovich was again selected for the NCHC First All-Conference Team.[26] Although the Bulldogs won the first game of the series against Omaha, Perunovich was forced to sit out due to injury.[27] After returning to the ice, Perunovich helped the Bulldogs defeat St. Cloud State 3–2 to qualify for the NCAA Championship.[28] He was also named the winner of NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year for the second consecutive season.[29] 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[30] 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.[31] After beating the Providence Friars 4–1,[32] Perunovich was named an AHCA East Second-Team All-American.[33] On April 13, the Bulldogs went on to clinch another NCAA Championship title after a 3–0 win over the UMass Minutemen.[34]

On July 28, 2019, Perunovich committed to another year with the Bulldogs[35] 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.[36] 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.[37] 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[38] and NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year for the third consecutive season.[39] Perunovich became the sixth Bulldogs player in the team's history to receive the Hobey Baker Award.[36]

Professional

Following the conclusion of his junior year with the Bulldogs, Perunovich signalled the end of his collegiate career by agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract with draft club, the St. Louis Blues, on March 28, 2020.[40] He was re-assigned to the Blues' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets, to begin the 2020–21 season.[41]

International play

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	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,[42] where they finished in fifth place.[43]

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.[44] After making the final cut, he scored one goal and two assists during the tournament to help Team USA win a bronze medal.[45] 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.[46]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				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		—	—	—	—	—
NCAA totals				115	20	85	105	132		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	United States	IH18	5th		4	0	0	0	2
2018	United States	WJC			7	1	2	3	2
Junior totals					11	1	2	3	4

Awards and honors

Award	Year	Ref
USHS
All-USA Hockey First Team	2016	[47]
College
AHCA West First Team All–American	2018, 2020	[15][48]
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	[17]
AHCA West Second Team All-American	2019	[33]
Hobey Baker Award	2020	[38]

References

1. "Scott Perunovich". umdbulldogs.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
2. "Scott Perunovich". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
3. "Scott Perunovich (@scorinscott) on Instagram • 37 photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
4. Casey, Tim (April 17, 2020). "Scott Perunovich, 2020 Hobey Baker Award Winner, Is Patiently Waiting To Make NHL Debut With Blues". forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
5. "2018 U.S. National Junior Team Games Notes" (PDF). December 22, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
6. Legwin, Jack (December 6, 2018). "Scott Perunovich is Overcoming the Odds". btshockey.com. Beyond the Ice. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
7. "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.
8. "Meet The RoughRiders – Scott Perunovich". The Gazette. October 10, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
9. Scott, Tony (March 13, 2014). "Bantam Player of the Year Finalists". youthhockeyhub.com. Youth Hockey Hub. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
10. "Hibbing's Perunovich is Able to Focus with Early Commitment". fox21online.com. Fox. December 25, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
11. Wellens, Matt (August 7, 2015). "Future UMD hockey players begin quest for gold". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
12. "Prep report: Hibbing duo, Marshall's Summers win sections". Duluth News Tribune. May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
13. "Apollo". St. Cloud Times. January 29, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
14. Wellens, Matt (October 7, 2017). "College men's hockey: Michigan Tech denies UMD Ice Breaker title". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
15. Ali, Sam (April 6, 2018). "UMD's Perunovich Named NCAA Rookie of the Year". fox21online.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
16. "Great Scott! Perunovich is USCHO.COM Rookie Of The Year; Sandelin Coach Of The Year". umdbulldogs.com. April 12, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
17. "Bulldogs Defenseman Honored By HCA As Top Freshman In The Country; First NCHC Player To Win Award". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
18. Gilligan, Jimmy (January 25, 2018). "Bulldogs Thrive Off Homegrown Heroes". nchchockey.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
19. "2018 Draft Prospect Rankings". NHL.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
20. Korac, Louie (July 29, 2018). "Perunovich aiming to raise stock for Blues". NHL.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
21. Wellens, Matt (November 24, 2017). "College men's hockey: UMD freshman Perunovich off to flying start". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
22. 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.
23. "13 NCHC Student-Athletes Nominated For 2019 Hobey Baker Award". nchchockey.com. January 17, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
24. "Sandelin and Five Bulldogs Up For NCHC Postseason Awards". umdbulldogs.com. March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
25. "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.
26. "Program-Record Five Bulldogs Receive 2018-19 All-NCHC Honors". umdbulldogs.com. March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
27. "UNO hockey takes overtime loss to defending champs Minnesota Duluth in NCHC quarterfinals". omaha.com. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
28. 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.
29. "SCSU, UMD Haul In 2018-19 Year-End Honors At Annual NCHC Awards Celebration". nchchockey.com. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. "UMD Wins In Frozen Four, Will Play UMass For NCAA Title Saturday". wdio.com. April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
33. "UMD's Shepard and Perunovich Names All-Americans For 2018-19". umdbulldogs.com. April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
34. Mahoney, Andrew (April 14, 2019). "UMass draws a complete blank in NCAA men's hockey final". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
35. Korac, Louie (July 28, 2019). "Perunovich chooses another year of college before joining Blues". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
36. "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.
37. 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.
38. "Scott Perunovich Wins Hobey Baker Award". kbjr6.com. April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
39. "Perunovich and Shepard Repeat As NCHC Offensive Defenseman and Goaltender of the Year Award Winners". umdbulldogs.com. March 24, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
40. "Perunovich agrees to entry-level contract with Blues". St. Louis Blues. March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
41. "Blues set season-opening roster; Kyrou, MacEachern among players on taxi squad". foxsports.com. Fox Sports. January 12, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
42. "16 Recruits to Play for Hlinka". collegehockeyinc.com. College Hockey Inc. July 2, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
43. "Scott Perunovich". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
44. Wellens, Matt (December 13, 2017). "Minnesota Duluth's Perunovich fighting for spot on junior national hockey team". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
45. 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.
46. 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.
47. "Awards - USHS All-USA Hockey First Team". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
48. "SCSU, UMD Dominate 2018-19 NCHC All-Conference Teams". Nchchockey.com. March 13, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database