Colton Parayko's fight for Canada in 3-1 loss to United States at 4 Nations Face-Off doesn't go unnoticed among Blues teammates
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When Colton Parayko dropped the mitts as part of a three-fight spree in the game’s first nine seconds for Canada against the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, it was stunning to those that know him for the simple fact the St. Louis Blues defenseman doesn’t fight often.
But count his Blues teammates among those that were fine with him taking on J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers.
“It was pretty unexpected honestly,” Blues forward Jordan Kyrou said. “I don’t think I’ve ever really seen him throw before, but when you’ve got the maple leaf on, you would do anything for your country. It was awesome.
“He’s a beast. That’s why we call him ‘Beast.’ It was a great fight and a fun game to watch.”
USA’s 3-1 win at Bell Centre in Montreal started with a bang, led by the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady, with Matthew taking on Brandon Hagel two seconds after the puck dropped, then Brady going with Sam Bennett.
And then he was Miller pulling Parayko into a tussle after a dust-up with fellow Blues teammate and Canada goalie Jordan Binnington.
“Heat of the moment, big game, everyone watching,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “He stepped up and had a heck of a scrap. Spirited game on both sides from a hockey fan’s standpoint. It’s good for the game, got the people going, people talking about it and obviously got the fans going. It’s good to see. Both guys are playing well and this tournament’s been great for the NHL.
“He gets in the odd one and J.T. Miller challenged him and (he) didn’t back down. Not surprised at all because he’s done it before.”
It was his first-ever fight on the international level and fourth overall, including three in the NHL, the latest against former teammate Klim Kostin of the San Jose Sharks on April 6, 2004.
“I didn’t know he could fight that good,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “I was actually surprised. Good for him.”
It was a good bout for Parayko, but then came the flood of responses on social media: why can’t he do that for the Blues?
Montgomery had a good, and proper, answer.
“We need him on the ice all the time,” Montgomery said. “It’s a little bit of a different scenario. He plays so many important minutes.”
Parayko leads the Blues and is 17th in the league in average time on ice at 24:13, which would be his NHL career best. For someone that plays in virtually all situations, having him spend five minutes at a time in the penalty box, especially if the game is on the line, would not be ideal.
“I think when you look at when the Blues won the Cup, he was playing in-your-face hockey,” Montgomery said. “Maybe never shed the gloves, but he was just killing plays intimidating people. His game of intimidation is more with his skating and his physical presence than it is actually dropping the gloves and fighting.”
Parayko, who is listed at 6-foot-6, 228 pounds, tends to shy away from answering questions about fights and crunching hits.
“It was an unusual situation for him,” Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko said. “It’s not often when you see him fight, but he’s like a big, strong guy who can throw really good punches. It was really good fight and we enjoyed it. He did a really good job.
“I know he had it in him, but he’s a really kind person. It’s hard to make him angry. But it’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing. When he plays on the ice, it’s always hard to play against him. He never let anyone down.”
