Nick Paul facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nick Paul |
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Paul with the Binghamton Senators
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| Born | March 20, 1995 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 223 lb (101 kg; 15 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre / left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Tampa Bay Lightning Ottawa Senators |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 101st overall, 2013 Dallas Stars |
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| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Nicholas Paul (born March 20, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a forward, often on the left wing. Nick currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Dallas Stars first chose him in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Contents
Nick's Early Life
Nick Paul was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His birthday is March 20, 1995. His parents are Ellwood and Melinda. Nick's mom is an American citizen, so he is a citizen of both Canada and the United States.
When Nick was a kid, his dad and older brother Christopher built a hockey rink in their backyard. Nick and his older brother Jesse used it to practice their hockey skills. Nick was also friends with fellow hockey player Max Domi when they were young. They even went to Toronto Maple Leafs games together.
Playing Hockey
Junior Hockey Days
Nick Paul played minor hockey for the Mississauga Chargers. This was part of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). In the 2011–12 season, he scored three goals and two assists.
When it was time for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft, Nick was only 5-foot-6 tall. He scored four goals and 25 points in 37 games that year. He wasn't picked in the OHL draft at first. But later, the Brampton Battalion (now the North Bay Battalion) chose him as an older player.
After his first season with the Battalion, Nick scored 12 goals and 28 points. Because of his good play, the Dallas Stars picked him in the 2013 NHL Draft. He was the 101st player chosen overall.
Nick went back to the Battalion after the draft. He kept scoring lots of goals. He helped his team reach the OHL's Eastern Conference Finals. He scored nine goals in 15 playoff games that year. On July 1, 2014, the Stars traded Nick's NHL rights to the Ottawa Senators. This trade also involved other players and a draft pick.
Nick played one more season with the Battalion in 2014–15. By December, he had 19 goals and 34 points. The Senators then signed him to a three-year contract on December 20, 2014. When he joined the Senators' training camp in 2015, he had grown to 6-foot-4 and weighed 225 pounds!
Professional Hockey Career
Playing for the Ottawa Senators
Nick Paul started his professional career with the Binghamton Senators. This team is linked to the Ottawa Senators in the American Hockey League (AHL). In his first AHL season (2014–15), he scored six goals and 11 assists.
In February 2016, Nick was called up to the NHL. He made his NHL debut on February 16, 2016, against the Buffalo Sabres. Just a few days later, on February 24, 2016, he scored his first NHL goal! It was in a 4–1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Nick signed new contracts with the Senators in 2018 and 2019. He worked hard to become a regular player for Ottawa. During the 2019–20 season, he played in 56 NHL games, which was his highest number yet.
In the 2020–21 season, Nick became an alternate captain for the Senators. He also became one of the team's best players at stopping penalties. He was even nominated for the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. This award goes to a player who shows great sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. In the 2021–22 season, Nick played many different roles for the team.
Joining the Tampa Bay Lightning
On March 20, 2022, Nick Paul was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This happened just before the NHL trade deadline. The Lightning sent Mathieu Joseph and a draft pick to Ottawa for him.
Nick scored his first goal for the Lightning on March 22. He then made his Stanley Cup playoff debut that year. In Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nick scored two goals. One of these goals won the series for the Lightning! He helped the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the third year in a row. He scored 5 goals and 9 points in 23 playoff games. However, the Lightning lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals.
On July 1, 2022, Nick signed a big seven-year contract to stay with the Lightning. He helped the team make the playoffs again in the 2022–23 season. They faced the Maple Leafs again. In Game 5, with the Lightning facing elimination, Nick scored the winning goal to keep them in the series. But the Maple Leafs won the next game and eliminated the Lightning.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Canada |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2015 Canada | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2021 Latvia | |
Nick Paul has played for Team Canada on the world stage. He first played in the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored three goals in seven games. This helped Canada win a gold medal!
He also played for Team Canada at the senior level in the 2021 IIHF World Championship. In the gold medal game against Finland, Nick scored the winning goal in overtime! This gave Canada its 21st gold medal in that tournament.
After the Tampa Bay Lightning finished their 2024 playoffs, Nick joined Team Canada again for the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | Mississauga Chargers | OJHL | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Brampton Battalion | OHL | 66 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | North Bay Battalion | OHL | 67 | 26 | 20 | 46 | 39 | 22 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | North Bay Battalion | OHL | 58 | 37 | 29 | 66 | 49 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 6 | ||
| 2015–16 | Binghamton Senators | AHL | 45 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 24 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Binghamton Senators | AHL | 72 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 54 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 43 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 56 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 56 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 59 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 21 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 23 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 80 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals | 410 | 75 | 83 | 158 | 152 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 14 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Canada | WJC |  |
7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Canada | WC | |
10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2024 | Canada | WC | 4th | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | ||||
