Paul Postma

Paul Postma
Postma with Düsseldorfer EG in October 2024
Born (1989-02-22) February 22, 1989 (age 35)
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
ICEHL team
Former teams		 EC KAC
Atlanta Thrashers
Winnipeg Jets
Boston Bruins
Ak Bars Kazan
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
HC Lugano
NHL draft 205th overall, 2007
Atlanta Thrashers
Playing career 2009–present

Paul Edward Postma (born February 22, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for EC KAC of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He was drafted 205th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. During his major junior career with the Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Postma won the WHL Plus-Minus Award and was a WHL East First Team All-Star in 2009.

Playing career

Postma has played major junior in the WHL for the Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Hitmen. After a 24-point season in 2006–07, he was drafted in the 7th round, 205th overall, by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. The next season, he was traded to the Calgary Hitmen, where he recorded 14 goals and 42 points. In 2008–09, Postma emerged with a 23-goal, 84-point campaign, first among league defencemen, setting team records for single-season goals (surpassed Kenton Smith's 19 goals in 1998–99)[1] and points (tied with Matt Kinch) by a defenceman.[2]

Postma with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013.

He earned WHL East First Team All-Star honours, along with teammates Brandon Kozun and Brett Sonne and a nomination for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman, opposite Jonathon Blum of the Vancouver Giants.[3] With a league-high +67 plus-minus rating, he won the WHL Plus-Minus Award. During the second round of the subsequent 2009 playoffs, Postma was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Thrashers.[4] He finished the 2009 playoffs with 13 points in 18 games, as the Hitmen were defeated in the finals by the Kelowna Rockets.

While playing for the Winnipeg Jets, Postma scored his first NHL goal on February 1, 2013, against Anders Lindbäck of the Tampa Bay Lightning.[5] In 2013–14, Postma missed most of the season due to injury, including a blood clot that had him sidelined for 47 games. Postma played a total of 42 games for the Jets during the 2014–15 season, but was sidelined in March, due to a lower-body injury.[6]

On July 10, 2015, Postma signed a two-year, $1,775,000 contract extension with the Jets.[7]

After spending his first eight professional seasons with the Thrashers/Jets franchise, Postma left as a free agent in agreeing to terms with the Boston Bruins on a one-year, $775,000 contract on July 1, 2017.[8] He split the 2017–18 season between Boston and AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.

As a free agent from the Bruins, Postma opted to halt his North American career, agreeing to a one-year contract with Russian champions, Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on August 15, 2018.[9] In the 2018–19 season, Postma regained his scoring touch in the KHL, posting 8 goals and 28 points through 57 regular season games.

On May 1, 2019, Postma left Ak Bars as a free agent to sign a one-year contract with Russian outfit, Metallurg Magnitogorsk.[10] He made just 10 appearances with Magnitogorsk to open the 2019–20 season before opting to leave the KHL on October 6, 2019. Moving to continue his career in Switzerland, after a successful tryout, Postma joined HC Lugano of the National League (NL) on a one-year deal on November 6, 2019.

On December 8, 2020, Postma belatedly joined Austrian club, EC KAC of the ICEHL, as a free agent on an initial one-year contract.[11]

Personal life

Postma attended Gateway Christian School and Notre Dame High School in Red Deer, Alberta. He is the son of John and Janet Postma and has three sisters; Alissa, Jamie-Lea and Sharlene. Alissa is married to former NHL defenceman Noah Welch.[12][13] while his other sister, Sharlene is married to American ice hockey player Rhett Rakhshani.

Paul married Brooke Sutter, daughter of Brent Sutter during the summer of 2023.

Records

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 Swift Current Broncos WHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2005–06 Swift Current Broncos WHL 58 2 9 11 6 4 0 0 0 0
2006–07 Swift Current Broncos WHL 70 5 19 24 42 6 0 1 1 0
2007–08 Swift Current Broncos WHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2007–08 Calgary Hitmen WHL 66 14 28 42 30 16 6 4 10 4
2008–09 Calgary Hitmen WHL 70 23 61 84 28 18 5 8 13 10
2009–10 Chicago Wolves AHL 63 15 14 29 24 7 0 2 2 0
2010–11 Chicago Wolves AHL 69 12 33 45 20 — — — — —
2010–11 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2011–12 St. John's IceCaps AHL 56 13 31 44 32 15 1 9 10 14
2011–12 Winnipeg Jets NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2012–13 St. John's IceCaps AHL 27 7 11 18 16 — — — — —
2012–13 Winnipeg Jets NHL 34 4 5 9 6 — — — — —
2013–14 Winnipeg Jets NHL 20 1 2 3 8 — — — — —
2013–14 St. John's IceCaps AHL 4 1 5 6 4 — — — — —
2014–15 Winnipeg Jets NHL 42 2 4 6 16 — — — — —
2015–16 Winnipeg Jets NHL 26 2 0 2 4 — — — — —
2015–16 Manitoba Moose AHL 7 1 2 3 2 — — — — —
2016–17 Winnipeg Jets NHL 65 1 13 14 15 — — — — —
2017–18 Boston Bruins NHL 14 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2017–18 Providence Bruins AHL 13 1 8 9 4 4 0 3 3 0
2018–19 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 57 8 20 28 12 4 2 1 3 0
2019–20 Metallurg Magnitogorsk KHL 10 0 2 2 2 — — — — —
2019–20 HC Lugano NL 20 2 7 9 6 — — — — —
2020–21 EC KAC ICEHL 20 8 14 22 2 — — — — —
2021–22 EC KAC ICEHL 35 12 17 29 26 9 3 8 11 6
2022–23 EC KAC ICEHL 45 10 20 30 27 9 1 2 3 0
AHL totals 239 50 104 154 102 26 1 14 15 14
NHL totals 205 10 25 35 49 — — — — —

Awards and honours

Award Year
WHL
East First All-Star Team 2009 [3]
WHL Plus-Minus Award 2009
CHL Second All-Star Team 2009
AHL
All-Star Game 2011, 2012
First All-Star Team 2012 [14]

References

  1. ^ "Postma claims spot in Hitmen history". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  2. ^ "A look at the 2008-09 WHL Award Finalists". Western Hockey League. 2008-03-26. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  3. ^ a b "WHL Announces 2008-09 Conference All-Stars and Award Finalists". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  4. ^ "Postma inks contract with Thrashers". CanWest News Services. 2009-04-11. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  5. ^ "Winnipeg - Tampa Bay Boxscore". National Hockey League. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  6. ^ "Byfuglien returns to practice for Jets, but Postma out with lower-body injury". nhl.com. March 16, 2015.
  7. ^ "Jets agree to terms with Postma on two-year contract". nhl.com. July 10, 2015.
  8. ^ "Bruins sign depth players Kenny Agostino, Paul Postma to one-year, one-way deals". CSNNE. 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  9. ^ "Ak Bars agree contract with Paul Postma" (in Russian). Ak Bars Kazan. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  10. ^ "Paul Postma signs with Metallurg" (in Russian). Metallurg Magnitogorsk. 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  11. ^ "EC KAC strengthens with Paul Postma signing" (in German). EC KAC. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  12. ^ Atchue, A.J. (March 24, 2011). "Postma has dedicated himself to both ends of ice". NHL.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018. his older sister, Alissa, will marry his current teammate and roommate, defenseman Noah Welch.
  13. ^ Shinzawa, Fluto. "Olympics will be just fine without the NHL". edition.pagesuite.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018. Not only does Welch have his Brighton and Cambridge connections, he is married to Alissa Postma, sister of Bruin Paul Postma.
  14. ^ "Paul Postma's AHL player profile". American Hockey League. 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2013-04-15.