When the St. Louis Blues named Pietrangelo team captain on Aug. 24, 2016, he became the latest defenseman to have that honor, a group that includes Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, Al Arbour, Barclay Plager and Eric Brewer.
Pietrangelo was certainly a worthy choice after leading the Blues in blocked shots (136) in 2015-16 and helping them reach the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2001. In 2014-15 he became the first defenseman in franchise history to score at least 40 points in each of his first four full NHL seasons.
When the St. Louis Blues named Pietrangelo team captain on Aug. 24, 2016, he became the latest defenseman to have that honor, a group that includes Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, Al Arbour, Barclay Plager and Eric Brewer.
Pietrangelo was certainly a worthy choice after leading the Blues in blocked shots (136) in 2015-16 and helping them reach the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2001. In 2014-15 he became the first defenseman in franchise history to score at least 40 points in each of his first four full NHL seasons.
In 2012-13 Pietrangelo ranked first in the NHL with 32.4 shifts per game, and led the Blues in both shorthanded ice time per game (3:01) and power-play ice time per game (2:51), becoming the first Blues defenseman since MacInnis (2002-03) to do so.
In 2011-12 he ranked fifth among NHL defensemen in points (51) and first in game-winning goals (six). That season he also became the youngest defenseman (22) in Blues history to have consecutive seasons of 40 or more points and became the second defenseman in St. Louis history to score at least six game-winning goals and six power-play goals in the same season. Pietrangelo finished fourth in voting for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top defensive player, in 2011-12.
Success has followed Pietrangelo throughout his hockey career. He reached the 2009-10 Ontario Hockey League final with Barrie, was a three-time OHL all-star and played in the 2008 CHL Top Prospects Game.
Pietrangelo won a gold medal with Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championship and a silver medal at the event in 2010, where he was named the tournament's best defenseman. At the 2011 World Championship, Pietrangelo scored five points in seven games and was named the top defenseman of the tournament.
Selected by the Blues with the No. 4 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Pietrangelo made his NHL debut Oct. 10, 2008, against the Nashville Predators. His first full NHL season was 2010-11, when he led Blues defensemen in points (43), plus-minus (18) and shots (161).
In 2013-14 Pietrangelo and Nashville's Shea Weber were the only NHL defensemen to score at least 50 points and play over 200 power-play and shorthanded minutes.
