Scott Perunovich

Personal life

Perunovich was born in Hibbing, Minnesota, to Jim and Susan Perunovich. He is of Montenegrin descent; his paternal great-grandparents Nikola and Stana Perunović emigrated from Montenegro to Hibbing. He began figure skating at age four before joining hockey. His uncle Doug Torrel played for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks.

Playing career

Perunovich attended Hibbing High School from 2014 to 2017, playing prep hockey and tennis. He was drafted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in 2014 but chose to stay at Hibbing, leading the team to a 37–10–5 record. In 2015 he committed to the University of Minnesota–Duluth. During his high school tennis career, he and Jake Jolowsky won the Section 7A doubles title and qualified for the state tournament three times.

After his senior year, he played one season with Cedar Rapids, where he struggled away from home and recorded the worst plus-minus in the league. At Minnesota–Duluth from 2017 to 2020, he majored in communications. In his freshman season he recorded 36 points, tying fourth nationally among defensemen and third among freshmen. He was named AHCA East First-Team All-American, NCHC First All-Conference Team, NCHC All-Rookie team, All-Tournament Team, NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year, and NCHC Rookie of the Year.

He set a Bulldogs record for most points by a freshman defenseman and helped the team win the NCAA National Championship, earning a spot on the Frozen Four All–Tournament Team. He also received the Tim Taylor Award as Division I National Rookie of the Year.

International play

Perunovich represented the United States at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where the team finished fifth. In 2018 he played for the U.S. at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring one goal and two assists to help win a bronze medal. His only goal came during the first outdoor World Juniors game, erasing a two-goal deficit in a 4–3 win over Canada.