Paul Postma
Canadian defenceman who played for the Winnipeg Jets and Thrashers franchise.
Paul Edward Postma is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently without a team. His most recent club was Düsseldorfer EG in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Selected 205th overall in the 2007 NHL draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, Postma later played for the Winnipeg Jets, where he netted his first NHL goal on February 1, 2013.
Postma played major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League for the Swift Current Broncos and the Calgary Hitmen. After a 24-point season in 2006–07, the Thrashers picked him in the seventh round. The following year, he was traded to the Hitmen and put up 14 goals and 42 points. In 2008–09, he broke out with 23 goals and 84 points, leading all WHL defencemen in scoring and setting team records for a blueliner in both goals (surpassing Kenton Smith’s 19 in 1998–99) and points (tying Matt Kinch’s mark from 2000–01). That season, he earned WHL East First Team All-Star honours alongside teammates Brandon Kozun and Brett Sonne, and was nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the league’s top defenceman, losing to Jonathon Blum of the Vancouver Giants. His plus‑minus of +67 was the highest in the league, winning him the WHL Plus-Minus Award. During the 2009 playoffs, the Thrashers signed him to a three-year entry-level contract. He finished those playoffs with 13 points in 18 games as the Hitmen fell to the Kelowna Rockets in the finals.
In 2013–14, Postma missed most of the season due to injury, including a blood clot that kept him out for 47 games. He played 42 games for the Jets in 2014–15 before a lower-body injury sidelined him in March. On July 10, 2015, he signed a two-year, $1,775,000 contract extension with Winnipeg. After eight professional seasons with the Thrashers/Jets organization, he left as a free agent and agreed to a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Boston Bruins on July 1, 2017. He split the 2017–18 season between Boston and their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
As a free agent from the Bruins, Postma moved overseas, signing a one-year contract with Russian club Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL on August 15, 2018. In 2018–19, he rediscovered his scoring touch, posting 8 goals and 28 points in 57 regular-season games. On May 1, 2019, he left Ak Bars to sign a one-year deal with another KHL team, Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He played only 10 games there before leaving the KHL on October 6, 2019.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 6 ft 3 in
- Weight
- 195 lb
- Born
- 22 February 1989
- Birthplace
- Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Right
- Team
- Free agent
- Draft
- 205th overall
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Postma played major junior in the WHL for the Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Hitmen. After a 24-point season in 2006–07, he was drafted in the seventh round by the Atlanta Thrashers. Traded to the Calgary Hitmen, he recorded 14 goals and 42 points the next season. In 2008–09, he emerged with a 23-goal, 84-point campaign, first among league defencemen, setting team records for single-season goals (surpassing Kenton Smith's 19 goals in 1998–99) and points (tied with Matt Kinch) by a defenceman. He earned WHL East First Team All-Star honours and a nomination for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman, opposite Jonathon Blum of the Vancouver Giants. With a league-high +67 plus-minus rating, he won the WHL Plus-Minus Award. During the second round of the subsequent 2009 playoffs, Postma was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Thrashers. He finished the 2009 playoffs with 13 points in 18 games, as the Hitmen were defeated in the finals by the Kelowna Rockets.
Reader's Guide
Postma's significance lies in his development from a seventh-round draft pick into a WHL record-setting defenceman and an NHL player for the Thrashers/Jets franchise. His 2008–09 season with the Calgary Hitmen was exceptional: he led all WHL defencemen in scoring with 84 points, set team records for goals and points by a defenceman, and posted a league-best plus-minus of +67, earning the WHL Plus-Minus Award and a First Team All-Star selection. After signing with the Thrashers, he transitioned to the NHL with the relocated Winnipeg Jets, scoring his first NHL goal in 2013. Injuries, including a blood clot that sidelined him for 47 games in 2013–14, limited his NHL tenure. He played 42 games for the Jets in 2014–15 before signing a two-year contract extension. After eight professional seasons with the franchise, he left as a free agent, signing with the Boston Bruins, then moved to the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan and Metallurg Magnitogorsk, later playing in Switzerland for HC Lugano and in Austria for EC KAC. His career illustrates a journeyman path across multiple leagues after his NHL stint.
Did You Know?
- Postma won the WHL Plus-Minus Award in 2009 with a league-high +67 rating.
- He set the Calgary Hitmen single-season record for points by a defenceman (84) in 2008–09, tied with Matt Kinch.
- Postma scored his first NHL goal on February 1, 2013, against Anders Lindbäck of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- He married Brooke Sutter, daughter of Brent Sutter, in the summer of 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Paul Postma born?
Paul Postma was born on 22 February 1989 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
What position does Paul Postma play?
Paul Postma's position is listed as Defence.
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