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Nathan Paetsch (D)

Rochester Americans

Biography

ACQUIRED
Re-signed a one-year American Hockey League contract with the Rochester Americans on July 5, 2019.

LAST SEASON
2018-19: Collected one goal and two assists in 11 games with the Rochester Americans in 2018-19, his 16th pro season and sixth in Rochester … Was named the Amerks AHL Man of the Year and the recipient of McCulloch Trophy for the second straight year for his dedicated service to the Rochester community throughout the season … Had two points (1+1) in the 6-4 playoff-clinching win at Binghamton on 3/30, marking his first goal since Dec. 15, 2016 at Chicago … Recorded his first point of the season with an assist in a 4-2 win over Laval on 3/29 … Was plus-three with a team-high five shots in a 5-1 win over Binghamton on 2/17 … Made his season debut at Binghamton on 12/01 … Served as one of five assistant captains

CAREER
2017-18: Appeared in 22 games during his fifth season with the Amerks, producing nine assists … Appeared in one playoff contest for Rochester … Named the Amerks AHL Man of the Year and the recipient of McCulloch Trophy for his dedicated service to the Rochester community throughout the season … Missed 34 games (10/20-1/10) due to injury … Notched his first multi-point effort of the season with two assists in a 6-4 win over Belleville on 4/13 … Had a season-long three-game assist streak (0+3) from 3/31 to 4/06 … Recorded his 200th assist AHL as well as his 250th AHL point on the game-winning goal at Binghamton on 3/31 … Notched the primary assist on the game-winning goal in a 4-2 win over Laval on 3/04 … Registered his 250th pro assist at Charlotte on 1/21 … Recorded his first point of the season with an assist and was +3 in his return to the lineup in a 5-2 win over Binghamton on 1/12 … Made his season debut against Syracuse on 10/06 … Named assistant captain on 10/05

2016-17: Captained the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) to their second Calder Cup in five years … Recorded 18 points (1+17) in 73 regular-season games for the Griffins before adding seven points (2+5) in 19 playoff appearances … Helped Grand Rapids to a perfect 10-0 record on home ice during the postseason … Departed as the Griffin’s all-time postseason leader in games played (78) and assists (27) while also becoming just the 18th different player in AHL history to appear in 100 or more Calder Cup Playoff games (ranks 17th all-time)

2015-16: Played in 73 games with the Griffins and contributed 24 points (4+20) … Added three points nine playoff contests … Between the regular season and the postseason, missed just three games, playing in 82 games total … Placed fifth on the team with a plus-14 rating … Scored a power play goal and added an assist in Game 5 of the Central Division Finals on 5/14 … Picked up two assists at Rochester on 4/01 … Scored the game-winner on 2/17 vs. Milwaukee … Recorded a season-high three assists in a 9-1 victory at Rockford on 2/05 … Contributed the game-winning goal and an assist on 1/08 … Netted the game-winning goal against Iowa on 11/25 … Potted a pair of assists on 11/20 vs. San Diego … Tallied his first goal and assist of the season (1+1) against Iowa on 11/11

2014-15: Ranked first among Grand Rapids defensemen in scoring in his third season with the team, posting 38 points (8+30), 42 PIM and a plus-24 rating in 75 games … Ranked among team leaders in assists (2nd , plus/minus (3rd) and power-play assists (15, 2nd) … Tied for third among team blueliners in postseason scoring with four assists in 16 Calder Cup playoff tilts … In his 12th year pro, missed only one game between the regular season and the playoffs, appearing in 91 total games during the season … Enjoyed a two-assist game at Rockford on 3/07 … Scored two goals and an assist, including the game-winning overtime goal, vs. Rochester on 2/06 … Registered three assists against Iowa on 1/29 … Turned out a two-point performance with a goal and an assist vs. Iowa on 12/27 … Posted a three-game assist streak from 10/11 to 10/18

2013-14: Collected 31 points (4-27—31) in 68 regular season games with Grand Rapids and five points (0-5—5) in 10 postseason games…Accumulated six two-assist games en route to ranking among regular season team leaders with 27 assists (3rd), two power play goals (T10th), a plus-18 rating (T3rd), 13 power play assists (2nd), 40 PIM (9th), 123 shots (7th) and a 50.0% shootout percentage (T2nd)…Contributed an assist in three consecutive games, 11/15/13-11/20/14…Suffered an upper-body injury and missed four games, 11/22/13-11/30/13…Chipped in two assists at the First Niagara Center, his former NHL arena, on 2/8/14 at Rochester.

2012-13: Won the Calder Cup in his first season with the Griffins … Picked up 31 points (4+27) in 70 regular season games and 11 points (0+11) in 24 postseason contests … Ranked among team leaders during the regular season with 27 assists (T-2nd), a plus-13 rating (T-2nd), 11 power play assists (T-2nd)   and 123 shots (7th) … Tied for third on the team in assists in the playoffs, while ranking fourth overall in scoring by AHL defensemen … Registered three multi-point games during the playoffs, with two assists on 5/01 vs. Houston, 6/04 vs. Oklahoma City and 6/09 at Syracuse … Notched his 100th AHL assist and 200th professional point at Houston on 4/02 … Set a new career high with a four-game assist streak, which also matched his career-best point streak, from 1/06 to 1/12 … Scored his first goal of the season at Chicago on 10/28 … Picked up three assists in his first four games as a Griffin, 10/13 to 10/21

2011-12: Suited up in 52 games for EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams of the DEL and recorded 25 points (7+18) … Finished ninth in team scoring and ranked second among his club’s defensemen …Tied for 10th on the team with a plus-10 rating

2010-11: Totaled 20 points (9+11) over 43 combined American Hockey League games with the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch … Re-joined Rochester while under contract to Vancouver and recorded three points (1+2) in games with the Amerks before being reassigned to Syracuse … Finished second among Syracuse defensemen in scoring … Matched his season-best three points (2+1) at Rochester on 1/01 … Racked up eight points (4+4) over a career-best four-game point streak from 12/31 to 1/07, including a pair of career-best two-goal games … Recorded a season-high three points with two goals and an assist at Rochester on 11/21 … Tallied his first goal with the Crunch on 11/19 vs. Albany to kick off a stretch that saw him record six points (3-3) in six games … Scored a goal in his first AHL game in over three and a half years (3/31/06), at Toronto on 10/09

2009-10: Split the season between the Buffalo Sabres and the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) … Notched two points (1+1) in only 11 games with the Sabres in a limited role as a reserve defenseman before being dealt to Columbus at the trade deadline on 3/03 in exchange for Raffi Torres … Finished the season with the Blue Jackets, skating in just 10 contests

2008-09: Played 23 regular season games with the Sabres, scoring two goals and assisting on four others

2007-08: Finished fourth amongst team defenseman with nine points (2+7) in 59 regular-season appearances for Buffalo

2006-07: Captured NHL career-highs in goals (2), assists (22), points (24), penalty minutes (50) and games played (63) … Finished first full season with Buffalo ranking fourth among team blueliners in overall scoring

2005-06: Made his NHL debut with the Sabres on 1/07 and recorded his first NHL point with an assist … Skated in his first NHL playoff games in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes … Completed his third season with Rochester and posted his best season overall, collecting pro career-highs in goals (11), assists (39), points (50) and shots on goal (202) … Led all Amerks rearguards in points and finished fourth overall on the Amerks … Finished ninth in scoring amongst AHL blueliners … Represented Rochester at the 2006 AHL All-Star Game … Scored seven power-play goals, the most among team defensemen … Named Amerks Team MVP as voted on by his teammates

 2004-05: Tallied two points (1+1) in nine postseason contests with the Amerks … Skated in a career-high 80 games with Rochester and was the only Amerk to appear in all regular season contests … Finished second on the team with a plus-15 on-ice rating … Compiled a career-high 150 PIM, fifth most on the team and second among defensemen … His 23 points (4+19) were second best among team blueliners … Was a member of an Amerks team that recorded an AHL-best 51 wins and 112 points en route to claiming the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s regular season points champion … Awarded the McCulloch Trophy for his outstanding service to the Rochester community for second straight year

2003-04: Began his professional career with Rochester after re-entering the draft (originally selected by Washington in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft) … Totaled 10 points (5+5) in 54 games as a first-year pro … Ranked second among team defensemen with five goals … Made his professional debut with the Amerks on 10/18 at Syracuse and notched his first assist against the same club on 10/26 … Scored his first professional goal with a shorthanded marker vs. Cincinnati on 11/10 … Recorded his first multi-point game with two points (1+1) at Hamilton on 3/13 … Picked up two points (1+1) in 16 postseason contests … Named the recipient of the McCulloch Trophy for his dedicated service to the community

2002-03: Posted 54 points (15+39) in 59 games in his final season with the Moose Jaw Warriors, his third straight year as the team’s top scoring defenseman … Finished his junior career as Moose Jaw’s all-time leader in points by a defenseman with 212 (48+164) in four WHL seasons … Placed fifth on the team and ninth among league defensemen in scoring … Earned a second straight berth to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team and also captured a spot on the conference Second All-Star Team at the end of the season …Tallied 13 points (3+10) in 13 postseason games, ranking third on the club

2001-02: Placed third on Moose Jaw and tied for ninth among WHL defenseman with 52 points (16+36) in 59 games … Ranked fifth among WHL blueliners with a career-high 16 goals … Represented his team at the WHL All-Star Game … Tallied four assists in 12 playoff games

2000-01: Named Moose Jaw’s Defenseman of the Year after finishing fourth on the team with 62 points (8+54) in 70 games … Ranked seventh among WHL defensemen in points and third in assists … Led the Warriors in assists … Played for Team Cherry in the CHL Top Prospects game … Ranked ninth on the team with 118 PIM …Tallied three points (1+2) in four playoff games and earned the team’s Playoff MVP award

1999-00: Led all rookie defensemen and tied for 15th amongst all WHL blueliners with 44 points (9+35) in 68 games with Moose Jaw … Tied for sixth on the Warriors in scoring and ranked third in assists … Had one assist in four playoff games

1998-99: Appeared in two regular season and one postseason game with Moose Jaw … Totaled 75 points (20+55) and 120 PIM in 74 contests with Tisdale in Saskatchewan’s junior circuit

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: Won his second straight silver medal with Team Canada at the 2003 World Junior Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia … Led Canada to a silver medal at the 2002 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic, picking up one assist in seven games … Participated in the 2000 U-17 and U-18 national championships for Team Canada

PERSONAL
Was a teammate of Amerks head coach Chris Taylor during his first three seasons in Rochester … Ranks 26TH all-time among Amerks defensemen with 98 points (22+76) in 248 career games in the red, white and blue … Has appeared in 104 Calder Cup Playoff games, ranking 17th all-time in AHL history