Paul Stastny

Paul Stastny
Stastny with the St. Louis Blues in October 2017
Born (1985-12-27) December 27, 1985 (age 38)
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 193 lb (88 kg; 13 st 11 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Colorado Avalanche
EHC München
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Vegas Golden Knights
Carolina Hurricanes
National team  United States
NHL draft 44th overall, 2005
Colorado Avalanche
Playing career 2006–2023

Paul Stastny (/ˈstæstn/; Slovak pronunciation: [ˈʂcastniː]) (born December 27, 1985) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey center who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes.

Of Slovak lineage, Stastny is the son of Peter Šťastný, a Hockey Hall of Famer who played for the Colorado Avalanche's predecessor, the Quebec Nordiques, and finished his career with the St. Louis Blues. Stastny's older brother Yan has played for the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues. His uncles Anton and Marián Šťastný both played in the NHL during the 1980s, also for the Nordiques.

Stastny began his junior hockey career with the River City Lancers of the United States Hockey League before moving to the Pioneers at the University of Denver in 2004. After winning the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in his first season playing for the Pioneers, he remained at the university for one more season. He signed a contract with the Avalanche before the 2006–07 NHL season, scored 78 points in 82 games in his rookie season, and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy. In the 2007–08 season, he was named to his first NHL All-Star Game but did not play because of an appendectomy. As a dual citizen, Stastny has chosen to represent the U.S. in international hockey competitions, including the 2004 Viking Cup, the 2007 IIHF World Championship, and the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.