The Utah Mammoth announced today the signing of defenseman Scott Perunovich to a one-year, two-way contract, worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
Perunovich, 26, skated in 35 games with the St. Louis Blues and the New York Islanders last season, registering 2-7-9 and 10 penalty minutes (PIM). The 5-foot-10, 175-pound defenseman has recorded 2-30-32 and 30 PIM in 108 career NHL games with both teams.. Perunovich has also played 39 career AHL contests with the Springfield Thunderbirds, earning 5-37-42 and 20 PIM.
The Hibbing, Minnesota native played three collegiate seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 2017-20, earning 20-85-105 and 132 PIM in 115 games and helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships in his first two NCAA seasons (2018 and 2019). Perunovich won the 2020 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey and was named USA Hockey’s Jim Johannson Award winner as the top American-born college player. He was named NCHC’s Best Offensive Defenseman in each of his three campaigns and received conference Rookie of the Year (2017-18) and Player of the Year (2019-20) honors as a freshman and junior, respectively.
Perunovich helped Team USA win bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also skated for the United States at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and recorded 1-7-8 in 10 games at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.
Perunovich was selected by the Blues in the second round (45th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
