Scott Perunovich: 2019-20 CHN Player of the Year

CHN Staff Report

Minnesota-Duluth junior defenseman Scott Perunovich has been named College Hockey News' Player of the Year.

The two-time national champion had his quest for a three-peat cut short when the season abruptly shut down 11 days ago over growing concerns about the Covid-19 virus. Up to then, the 5-foot-10 Perunovich was leading the Bulldogs in scoring with 40 points, while the team was rated No. 4 overall in the last Pairwise. He had 6 goals and 34 assists, while also leading the team with a plus-18 rating.

"He can slow a game down, he can push the pace, he can control the game," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said. "I think the one area he's gotten better at is defensively. So I think his game is more complete. When he's healthy and playing his game, he's a difference maker."

The smooth-skating defenseman, a native of Hibbing, Minn., was a second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Perunovich burst on the scene in 2017-18 when he had 11-25—36 and helped lead UMD to a national championship. He was named CHN's Rookie of the Year for that season. Last season, his goal numbers dipped to three, but he was still solid overall, and again was a big part of UMD's second straight national title.

As usual, the selection was not easy, with a close battle between all the other First Team All-CHN performers.

"We’ve seen a new breed of defenseman take over the college game the last few seasons. They defend with their head and their feet," CHN columnist Joe Meloni said. "They turn defense into offense in a flash. They conduct power plays effortlessly and with great flair. Scott Perunovich is this player. He was one of the best offensive players in the country and developed into a premier defender as well in his junior season."

It's the second straight year the award went to a defenseman, following Cale Makar, and third time overall (Matt Gilroy, 2009).

Perunovich is the first Minnesota-Duluth player to be named CHN POTY. UMD has had five Hobey Baker Award winners, the first four coming prior to CHN's existence (Tom Kurvers, Bill Watson, Chris Marinucci, Junior Lessard). In 2012, when the Hobey was awarded to Jack Connolly, CHN's POTY went to Colgate's Austin Smith. Connolly was recently named to CHN's All-Decade team for the 2010s.