Paul Edward Postma (born February 22, 1989) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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 hock ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...

who is currently playing for EC KAC of the

ICE Hockey League The ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League), known as the win2day ICE Hockey League for sponsorship reasons, is a Central European hockey league that also serves as the top-tier ice hockey league in Austria, it currently f ...

(ICEHL). He was drafted 205th overall in the

2007 NHL Entry Draft The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007. The draft ...

by the

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

. During his major junior career with the

Swift Current Broncos The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos ...

and

Calgary Hitmen The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" ...

of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

(WHL), Postma won the

WHL Plus-Minus Award The Plus-Minus Award is given annually to the player who finishes with the top plus/minus in the Western Hockey League. It has been awarded since 1987. List of winners See also *AutoPro Plaque - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec M ...

and was a WHL East First Team All-Star in 2009.

Playing career

Postma has played

major junior Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

in the WHL for the

and

. After a 24-point season in 2006–07, he was drafted in the 7th round, 205th overall, by the

in the

. 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 Kenton Smith (born September 10, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Playing career Smith began playing at major junior level for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1995–96. He competed for the H ...

's 19 goals in 1998–99) and points (tied with

Matt Kinch Matt Kinch (born February 17, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman playing in Germany for the EV Ravensburg of the 2nd Bundesliga. He played major junior in the Western Hockey League (WHL) before also playing pro in the Ameri ...

) by a defenceman. Paul Postma - Winnipeg Jets

He earned WHL East First Team All-Star honours, along with teammates

Brandon Kozun Brandon Scott Kozun (born March 8, 1990) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player who is an unrestricted free agent. He is currently signed to a professional tryout agreement with the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey Le ...

and

Brett Sonne Brett Sonne (born May 16, 1989) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He is a former prospect of the St. Louis Blues organization, having been selected by the Blues in the third round, 85th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He ...

and a nomination for the

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy The Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the defenceman of the year in the Western Hockey League. It is named after one of the league's founders, Bill Hunter, who was the driving force behind the creation of the WHL. Hunter served as ...

as the league's top defenceman, opposite

Jonathon Blum Jonathon Gregory Blum (born January 30, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, currently playing with EHC Red Bull München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Blum was born in Long Beach, California and grew up in Rancho S ...

of the

Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup (now known as the Ed Chynoweth Cup) in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in th ...

. With a league-high +67 plus-minus rating, he won the

. During the second round of the subsequent 2009 playoffs, Postma was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Thrashers. He finished the 2009 playoffs with 13 points in 18 games, as the Hitmen were defeated in the finals by the

Kelowna Rockets The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League (WHL), out of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). They play their home games at Prospera Place. The Roc ...

. While playing for 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, pl ...

, Postma scored his first NHL goal on February 1, 2013, against

Anders Lindbäck Anders Lindbäck (born 3 May 1988) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He has previously played for the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas St ...

of the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

. 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. On July 10, 2015, Postma signed a two-year, $1,775,000 contract extension with the Jets. 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 The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

on a one-year, $775,000 contract on July 1, 2017. He split the 2017–18 season between Boston and AHL affiliate, the

Providence Bruins The Providence Bruins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the primary development team for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rh ...

. 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 Hockey Club Ak Bars (russian: Ак Барс, tt-Cyrl, Ак Барс, en, Snow Leopard), also known as Ak Bars Kazan, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Kazan. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey ...

of the

Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...

(KHL), on August 15, 2018. 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 Metallurg Magnitogorsk (russian: Металлург Магнитогорск) is a professional ice hockey team based in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League. They a ...

. 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 ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, after a successful tryout, Postma joined

HC Lugano Hockey Club Lugano, often abbreviated to HC Lugano or HCL, is a professional ice hockey club based in Lugano, Switzerland. The team competes in the National League (NL) and has won seven Swiss championships. History The founding of HC Lugano took ...

of the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

(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.

Personal life

Postma attended Gateway Christian School and Notre Dame High School in

Red Deer, Alberta Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and education. ...

. 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 Noah Paul Welch (born August 26, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Atlanta Thrashers. Welch ...

. while his other sister, Sharlene is married to American ice hockey player

Rhett Rakhshani Rhett Thomas Rakhshani (born March 6, 1988) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the fourth round (100th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Rakhshani is of Iranian– German– Mex ...

Records

team record; single-season points by a defenceman - 84 in 2008–09 (tied with

- 2000–01)

Career statistics

Awards and honours

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Postma, Paul 1989 births Living people Ak Bars Kazan players Atlanta Thrashers draft picks Atlanta Thrashers players Boston Bruins players Calgary Hitmen players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Canadian people of Dutch descent Chicago Wolves players Ice hockey people from Alberta EC KAC players HC Lugano players Manitoba Moose players Metallurg Magnitogorsk players Providence Bruins players Sportspeople from Red Deer, Alberta St. John's IceCaps players Swift Current Broncos players Winnipeg Jets players