Adam Pardy

Lore & Background

Pardy began his junior career in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League after failing to earn a spot with the Halifax Mooseheads. His QMJHL rights were traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, but the Antigonish Bulldogs initially refused to release him. He eventually played two full seasons with the Screaming Eagles, recording 16 goals, 40 assists, and 302 penalty minutes in 144 games. He turned professional in 2005 with Calgary's AHL affiliate, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, but struggled early and was demoted to the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers, where he scored his first professional goal. Pardy made his NHL debut on October 9, 2008, playing under eight minutes in a 6–0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the first former Las Vegas Wranglers skater to play an NHL game. He scored his first NHL point (an assist) on December 12, 2008, and his first goal on January 8, 2009. After his rookie season, he was an unrestricted free agent due to his age and low games played, but re-signed with Calgary for two years. He left the Flames after the 2010–11 season and signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Dallas Stars. He played only one season in Dallas, recording three assists in 36 games, before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in a deal that also sent Steve Ott for Derek Roy. Pardy later played for the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, and Nashville Predators, and finished his career with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, winning the Kelly Cup before retiring.

Reader's Guide

Adam Pardy's NHL career spanned eight seasons across six teams, marked by a journeyman path that began with an unusual late draft selection. His playing style was defensive and physical, focusing on preventing opposition scoring rather than generating offense; as a rookie he recorded 77 hits in 60 games, including a check on Jared Boll described as one of the best of the 2008–09 season. Pardy's career included notable moments such as going through the glass after a bodycheck from Brandon Bollig during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 6, 2013, where a fan ripped off his helmet and a female companion appeared to dump beer on him. He was a spokesman for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary. Pardy's path through the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and SHL, along with his late draft selection and eventual retirement after winning the Kelly Cup with his hometown Newfoundland Growlers, illustrates a career of persistence and adaptation across multiple levels of professional hockey.

Did You Know?

• He became the first former Las Vegas Wranglers skater to play an NHL game when he debuted on October 9, 2008.
• Pardy won a bronze medal with the Canadian team at the 2004 World Ball Hockey Championships in Slovakia.