Justin Michael Faulk (born March 20, 1992) is an American 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 h ...
defenseman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...
currently playing for the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). He previously played for the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
for the first eight years of his career. He was selected by the Hurricanes in the 2nd round (37th overall) of the
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...
.
Before turning professional, Faulk played for the
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) is a public university in Duluth, Minnesota. It is part of the University of Minnesota system and offers 16 bachelor's degrees in 88 Academic major, majors, graduate programs in 25 different fields, and a ...
where he set a new school record for most goals by a rookie defenceman and helped them capture the national championship.
Early life
Faulk was born on March 20, 1992, in
South St. Paul, Minnesota to parents Gail and Dale.
Faulk learned how to ice skate at three years old and began playing organized ice hockey at the age of six.
His father died when he was seven years old and he was subsequently raised by his mother alongside his brother David.
Following his father's death, Faulk described his mother as the biggest influence on his career.
Playing career
Amateur
Growing up in Minnesota, Faulk played prep ice hockey for
South St. Paul High School
South St. Paul Secondary (also known as South St. Paul High School) is a public high school in South St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is part of the South St. Paul Public Schools district, and is an International Baccalaureate World School ...
before joining the
USA Hockey National Team Development Program
The United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program: under-17 and under- ...
(USNTDP) for two seasons.
During the 2007–08 season, Faulk recorded six goals and 15 assists to earn honorable mention all-conference honors.
As a sophomore, he committed to play Division 1 hockey for the
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) is a public university in Duluth, Minnesota. It is part of the University of Minnesota system and offers 16 bachelor's degrees in 88 Academic major, majors, graduate programs in 25 different fields, and a ...
for the 2010–11 season.
Faulk had previously considered playing in the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictl ...
but felt that the USNTDP would be better for his development.
Faulk spent the 2010–11 season playing for the University of Minnesota Duluth, helping them capture the national championship. During this season, Faulk set a new school record for most points in a single season by a freshman defenseman. His record was later beaten by
Scott Perunovich in 2018. Faulk was then named to the
All-WCHA Third Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team.
Carolina Hurricanes
On April 15, 2011, Faulk was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes to a three-year entry-level contract. Faulk scored his first NHL goal on December 9, 2011 against
Chris Mason of the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
.
In 2012, Faulk was selected as the lone Hurricanes representative to the NHL All-Star Game's YoungStar showcase, where he participated in the Hardest Shot competition.
In the
2014–15 season, Faulk was recognized with his first selection as an All-Star, playing for "Team Toews" at the
2015 NHL All-Star Game.
On October 5, 2017, Faulk and
Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal (born September 10, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is regarded as a premier penalty-killer, both for his strong defensive skills a ...
were named co-captains of the Hurricanes.
On February 13, 2018, Faulk recorded his first NHL
natural hat trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wi ...
becoming only the 10th defenceman in NHL history to score one. On April 23, 2018, Faulk was nominated for the
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is a sports award given annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. The ...
as a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and gives back to his community. Instead of staying with co-captaincy the
following season, the Hurricanes decided to name
Justin Williams
Justin Craig Williams (born October 4, 1981) is a
Canadian-American former professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Washingto ...
as captain; Faulk was named an
alternate captain alongside
Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal (born September 10, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is regarded as a premier penalty-killer, both for his strong defensive skills a ...
.
St. Louis Blues
On September 24, 2019, Faulk and a
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
fifth-round pick were traded to the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
in exchange for
Joel Edmundson
Joel Edmundson (born June 28, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes.
Gr ...
,
Dominik Bokk and a
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
seventh-round pick. The Blues immediately signed Faulk to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension, which began during the
2020–21 season. By February 2020, Faulk had recorded 13 points in 53 games for the Blues. The Blues were eventually eliminated from Stanley Cup contention after losing 6–2 in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round against the Vancouver Canucks.
The following season, Faulk returned to the Blues. During Game 2 against 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 in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
, forward
Nazem Kadri
Nazem Kadri (born October 6, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played his juni ...
hit Faulk with his shoulder, striking his head.
As a result, Faulk missed Game 3 against the Avalanche and Kadri was suspended for eight games.
The Blues were eventually eliminated from the
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on May 15, 2021, and concluded on July 7, 2021, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second consecutive and third overall St ...
in Game 4.
International play
Internationally, Faulk has represented
the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
at four different events. He helped the Americans win gold at the
2010 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships was the 12th edition of the IIHF World U18 Championship. The tournament was held in Minsk and Babruysk, Belarus, between April 13 and April 23, 2010. Tournament games were played at the Minsk Sports Palace in ...
and bronze during the
2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred to as the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2011 WJHC''), was the 35th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was hosted by the United States. The games were played ...
. He also played at the Senior level at the
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
and the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
World Championships, and made his Olympic Debut at the
2014 Winter Olympics in
Sochi. Faulk was the youngest player on Team USA's roster for the 2014 Olympics, at the age of 21.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faulk, Justin
1992 births
Living people
American men's ice hockey defensemen
Carolina Hurricanes draft picks
Carolina Hurricanes players
Charlotte Checkers (2010–) players
Ice hockey players from Minnesota
Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey players
National Hockey League All-Stars
Olympic ice hockey players of the United States
People from South St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Louis Blues players
USA Hockey National Team Development Program players