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George James Parros (born December 29, 1979) is an American former professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
player who played nine seasons in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL), who currently serves as the head of the NHL's Department of Player Safety, with the title of senior vice president of player safety. In this role Parros is tasked with determining the suspensions or fines handed out for various on-ice incidents in the NHL. His primary role on the ice was that of an enforcer. Parros was part of the 2007
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
winning
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center ...
.


Early life

A native of
Washington, Pennsylvania Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania. A part of the Greater Pittsburgh area in the southwestern part of the state, the city is home to Washington & Jefferson College and Pony League baseball. The populat ...
of Greek descent, Parros grew up in
Randolph, New Jersey Randolph is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 25,734, reflecting an increase of 887 (+3.6%) from the 24,847 counted in the 2000 census, which had in turn ...
. He played for the (then Morris County, now) New Jersey Colonials and high school hockey at the Delbarton School in
Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
.


Playing career


Juniors

After graduating high school in 1998, he deferred admission to
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
to play junior hockey with the Chicago Freeze in the
North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alterna ...
during the 1998–99 season. Playing in the juniors gave him a chance to improve his play and get a bit bigger. During his 54 games with the Freeze in Juniors, Parros nearly averaged a point per game.


College

Parros played four years at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, where he totaled 52 points and 119 PIM in 111 games. He was named team captain for his senior season in 2002–03. While at Princeton, Parros majored in economics and wrote his senior thesis on the West Coast longshoremen's labor dispute. In 2010, he was chosen as the fourth-smartest athlete in sports by the ''Sporting News''.


Professional

Parros was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the eighth round (222nd) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. After graduating from Princeton, he joined the
Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to: *Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015) *Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New ...
, the Kings' AHL affiliate. Parros remained with the team through the 2004–05 season. His best season was 2004–05, when Parros had 22 points (14 goals, 8 assists) and 247 penalty minutes. He was second on the team in penalty minutes that season. He also appeared in three games with the
Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown ...
, the Kings'
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
affiliate, where Parros took boxing lessons to become a better fighter. When Parros made his NHL debut with the Kings on October 5, 2005, he became the seventh Princeton Tiger to play in the NHL. He scored his first NHL goal on October 20 against the Dallas Stars at the
American Airlines Center The American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena serves as the home of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association and the Dallas St ...
in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
. He recorded a goal, an assist and a major fighting penalty in the same game, an achievement known as a " Gordie Howe hat trick." He missed a total of 21 games over two different stretches between November and January of that season. However, he finished the 2005–06 season with two goals, three assists, and 138 PIM in 55 games. He played in the most games for a Kings' rookie during that season, as well as leading all Kings' players in major penalties. On October 2, 2006, he was waived by the Kings and picked up by the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
. He would play in only two games for the Avalanche. Just a month later, on November 13, 2006, Parros was traded to the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center ...
for a 2nd round
draft pick A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selec ...
and an option to swap 3rd round picks. During the 2006–07 season, he scored just one goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. He led the Ducks with 18 fighting majors during the regular season. Parros was a member of the Anaheim Ducks team that won the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
in 2007. On June 12, 2007, coming off of the Stanley Cup win, George Parros and the Ducks agreed to a two-year contract. The contract was worth 1.1 million dollars for two years. Parros had 183 penalty minutes during the 2007–08 season, at the conclusion of which the Ducks would be eliminated in the first round of their Stanley Cup defense by the Dallas Stars. His penalty minutes would drop to 135 the following season despite playing in an additional five games, while contributing five goals and five assists. After the better part of 6 seasons with the Ducks, Parros left as a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the
Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and initially played their home g ...
on July 1, 2012. On July 5, 2013, after one season with the Panthers, Parros was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Philippe Lefebvre and a 7th round draft pick in 2014. In the season opener against the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
on October 1, 2013, Parros engaged in a fight with
Colton Orr Colton "Bobby" Douglas Orr (born March 3, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Having played nearly 500 games in the NHL, Orr was known as an enforcer for his physical style of play and for regularly fighting. In 2019, he ...
in the third period. Parros lost his balance and fell headfirst to the ice knocking him out. Orr expressed immediate concern waving for training staff to make their way to Parros as he lay on the ice motionless. Parros was taken off on a stretcher with a concussion. Parros missed the next twelve games as a result of his injuries. This incident touched off renewed debate regarding fighting's place in the National Hockey League and player safety moving forward. After returning to play, Parros sustained a second concussion on December 14, 2013, following a fight with
Eric Boulton Eric Boulton (born August 17, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Boulton was drafted 234th overall in the ninth round of the 1994 draft by the New York Rangers. While he never played for the Rangers, he played for th ...
during a game against the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...
. Parros next played on January 11, 2014, in a game against the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
. However, he saw limited action during the season, either because of injury or because of being a healthy scratch, and appeared in only 22 games in total. The Canadiens did not offer Parros another contract at the end of the season and on July 1, 2014, he became an unrestricted free agent. He subsequently announced his retirement on December 5, 2014.


Post-playing career

In September 2016, the NHL announced that Parros had joined the league's Department of Player Safety. In September 2017, he was promoted to senior vice president of player safety, succeeding
Stéphane Quintal Stéphane Yvon Quintal (born October 22, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 16 seasons. He served as senior vice president of player safety for the NHL from 2014 to 2016. ...
as head of the Department of Player Safety. Upon being promoted, Parros said, "What uniquely positions me for the job is that I played the game as physically as anybody and I never once was fined or suspended." Parros plans on renewing emphasis on slashing and other "nonhockey plays."


Tom Wilson controversies

In a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers on May 3, 2021, during the aftermath of a play at the net, Capitals forward Tom Wilson was involved in two separate incidents. First, he pulled Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich to the ice, pushing down on the back of Buchnevich's neck with his stick, and then while holding him there, punched Buchnevich in the back of his head as he lay face down on the ice. During the resultant scrum, he twice threw a helmetless Ranger forward, Artemi Panarin, to the ice, the first time by his hair, ultimately causing a season-ending injury to Panarin. The following day, Parros, as head of the Department of Player Safety assessed a $5,000 fine to Wilson, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This fine was specifically cited as for Wilson's punch to Buchnevich, and no punishment was issued for the interaction with Panarin. The lack of suspension drew wide condemnation from coaches, current and former players, fans and the media. The Rangers then released an unprecedented statement publicly condemning George Parros by name, accusing him of being "unfit," and calling for his removal. The NHL subsequently fined the Rangers $250,000 for this statement criticizing Parros. It was also reported that earlier in the year, Wilson nearly avoided what ultimately was a seven-game suspension for a hit to the head of Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, who was hospitalized and missed nearly a month of action. As reported by The Athletic's Rick Carpiniello, Parros "didn't even want to suspend Wilson, ... but HL Commissioner GaryBettman didn't like the optics, and ordered a suspension."


Mustache

Parros is known for the large mustache that he often grows during the season, which he has said was inspired by a musician named Sean "Greazy" Bryan, known for his elaborate facial hair. According to a ''
Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 1 ...
'' article on November 7, 2006, Parros received grief from teammates in Colorado for shaving the mustache. Parros grew the mustache back, but his short time as a member of the team ended. According to an '' OC Register'' article on January 28, 2007, while in college Parros had a fantasy hockey team called the All-Star Mustaches. Growing up, Parros and his brother Jeff would have mustache-growing competitions. "George Parros Mustaches" were also sold at the Anaheim Ducks team store inside the
Honda Center The Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction ...
, with the proceeds going to charity. Parros has a line of apparel called "Stache Gear" that benefits The Garth Brooks Teammates For Kids Foundation. In addition to his mustache, George Parros is known for growing his hair long. Parros did not always have long hair. He decided to start growing it out when he graduated from Princeton. As a representative for the school he had to keep himself well groomed. He decided to grow it out all summer until the first day of training camp with the Manchester Monarchs. According to an article in USA Hockey magazine Parros' hair got out of hand. Word got out that he was planning to cut his long hair. An employee of the Monarchs told Parros of "Locks of Love."
Locks of Love Locks of Love is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that provides custom-made hair prosthetics to disadvantaged children up to the age of 21 who have suffered hair loss as a result of medical conditions, such as alopecia, burn trauma, and cancer tre ...
is a charity organization that makes wigs for children that have lost their hair due to medical conditions. When his hair reaches the appropriate length, he donates it every Christmas.


Personal life

After retiring in 2014 Parros focused his attention on his clothing brand, Violent Gentlemen. Parros is a fan of Swedish metal band
Amon Amarth Amon Amarth () is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology an ...
and is featured in their music video for the song "Raise Your Horns" of the 2016 album "Jomsviking". Parros and his wife Tiffany have twins born in 2011. Tiffany Parros appeared on two seasons of the Canadian
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1 ...
series '' Hockey Wives''. Parros makes a cameo appearance in '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers''.


Career statistics


Awards and achievements


Transactions

* June 26,
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
– Drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 8th round, 222nd overall. * October 2, 2006 – Waived by Los Angeles and picked up by the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
. * November 13, 2006 – Traded to the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center ...
for a 2nd round
draft pick A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selec ...
and an option to swap 3rd round picks. * June 12, 2007 – Signed two-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. * January 29, 2009 – Signed three-year extension with the Anaheim Ducks. * July 1, 2012 – Signed two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent with the
Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and initially played their home g ...
. * July 5, 2013 – Traded to the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
for Philippe Lefebvre and a 7th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parros, George 1979 births Living people American people of Greek descent American men's ice hockey right wingers Anaheim Ducks players Colorado Avalanche players Delbarton School alumni Florida Panthers players Ice hockey players from New Jersey Ice hockey players from Pennsylvania Los Angeles Kings draft picks Los Angeles Kings players Manchester Monarchs (AHL) players Montreal Canadiens players People from Randolph, New Jersey People from Washington, Pennsylvania Princeton Tigers men's ice hockey players Reading Royals players Sportspeople from Morris County, New Jersey Stanley Cup champions