Colton Parayko

Colton Parayko (born May 12, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Blues in the third round (86th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career
Parayko played collegiate hockey for the Alaska Nanooks in the NCAA Men's Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). In his sophmore year, Parayko's outstanding play was rewarded with a selection to the 2013–14 All-WCHA First Team.

At the completion of his junior season with the Nanooks, Parayko ended his collegiate career in signing a two-year entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues. He was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to finish the 2014–15 season on March 10, 2015.

Parayko played his first full season with the Blues in 2015-16, notching 9 goals and 24 assists for 33 points in 79 games, having a rather successful rookie season. He struggled early in the 2016-17 season but managed to overcome his struggles and found himself playing on the Blues top defensive line with Alex Pietrangelo. Despite his early struggles and scoring only 4 goals on the season, Parayko beat his career high in points by 2 with 35.

Personal
On August 12, 2016, Parayko graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in Business Administration. On earning his degree, Parayko stated "Hockey can only last so long. I’m going to have to work after hockey.....Having a degree in my back pocket is obviously a bonus."