Avs acquire defenseman Greg Pateryn in exchange for Ian Cole
Jan 19, 2021, 6:32 PM
DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired defenseman Greg Pateryn from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Ian Cole.
Pateryn, 30, has recorded two points (0g/2a) in three games for the Minnesota Wild so far this season. After undergoing surgery on Oct. 1, 2019, Pateryn made his 2019-20 season debut on Jan. 12, 2020 against Vancouver and played in 20 contests for Minnesota during the regular season, tallying three points (0g/3a). He recorded a career-best, three-game point/assist streak from Feb. 25-28, 2020. The Sterling Heights, Michigan, native missed the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to an upper-body injury.
Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round (128th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft, Pateryn has totaled 41 points (4g/37a) in 270 career NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Minnesota. He played in a career-best 80 games during the 2018-19 campaign and set career highs in assists (12), points (13) and blocked shots (148) during the 2017-18 season. Pateryn has appeared in seven career Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording three points (0g/3a). He was tied for third among Montreal defensemen in scoring (0g/3a) and tied for second in plus/minus (+2) during the 2015 playoffs.
“Greg is a strong, veteran defenseman who plays a heavy game,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President & General Manager Joe Sakic. “He’s a hard-nosed, competitive player who can kill penalties, block shots and brings some additional grit to our back line.
“We thank Ian for his two years with the Avalanche, for his efforts both on the ice as well as in the community. We wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
Pateryn has totaled 61 points (25g/36a) in 164 career American Hockey League contests with the Hamilton Bulldogs, St. John’s Ice Caps and Iowa Wild. Prior to turning pro, he played four seasons at the University of Michigan, where he served as an alternate captain in his senior year in 2011-12. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound blueliner produced 43 points (6g/37a) in 142 NCAA games, helping the Wolverines advance to the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons of his collegiate career. He appeared in the NCAA Frozen Four as a junior in 2010-11 and recorded an assist in the NCAA National Championship as Michigan fell to the University of Minnesota-Duluth 3-2 in overtime.
Cole, 31, recorded 41 points (6g/35a) and a +20 plus/minus rating in 138 games with the Avalanche. Signed by Colorado as a free agent on July 1, 2018, he has produced 138 points (26g/112a) with a +95 rating in 543 career NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Avs. He won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with Pittsburgh in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
