On Jan. 4, the Tampa Bay Lightning visited St. Paul, MN, to battle the Minnesota Wild. The Lightning secured a 4-1 victory in a game halfway through the NHL season, games that sometimes can be a slog for players. For defenseman Nick Perbix, it was a homecoming, so the game carried slightly more weight. The Minneapolis native played his third career game against the Wild, a team he grew up going to see.
A clip aired during a break in play highlighting how far he had come since his childhood in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The video showed a seven-year-old Perbix skating between whistles at a Wild game. Dubbed that night’s “Supercuts Super Kid,” he helped clean the ice during stoppages. Alongside the “Awws” the flashback stirred, the memory provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on how Perbix’s patience and maturity earned him a spot as a staple defenseman in the Lightning’s lineup.
Declining an NHL Contract
Nick Perbix debuted with the Lightning on Oct. 18, 2022, but his story with Tampa Bay began five years earlier. Steve Yzerman, then general manager of the team, drafted Perbix 169th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old opted to play for St. Cloud State entering the 2018-19 season, a decision that paid dividends for the next four years. A stellar freshmen campaign (five goals, 15 assists, and a plus-24 rating) saw Perbix establish himself at the college level. The fabled sophomore slump unfortunately struck him the next year when he posted four goals, 11 assists, and a minus-12 rating. That adversity can break many players. For Perbix it was an opportunity to improve.
Improve he did. Perbix’s junior year saw him pot seven goals, 16 assists, and a plus-9 rating. His impressive play convinced the Lightning to offer him an entry-level contract. Perbix, however, was not convinced that he was ready for the NHL. Brett Larson, his coach at St. Cloud State, shared the story about Perbix’s reaction to the offer after his junior season.
“He sat right in this office two years ago and had the same offer on the table from (the Lightning) and looked right at me and said, ‘You know coach, I want to come back for my fourth year because I know I can get better. I need to be mentally and physically stronger and prepared for pro hockey before I go.’” – Brett Larson
From ‘Nick Perbix finds NHL life perfectly imperfect in first pro game in Minnesota’, The Rink Live, Jan. 4, 2023.
Perbix displayed patience and maturity in a situation about which most kids dream. The chance to play in the NHL sat right before him, the opportunity for the taking, but he turned it down. Looking back at his senior year, it is evident not only that he made the right decision but also that he would not be the player he is today had he turned pro too early. He scored six goals and notched 25 assists in 31 games. His point-per-game pace, along with his sound defensive play, earned him a spot on the First All-Star Team. That senior year prepared him for the next level of hockey, not in the NHL but on the world stage.
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Before Perbix played a game for the Lightning, before he played a game in the NHL, he skated for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. His first taste of battling against older, more mature players only fortified Perbix, who seemed to approach the task undaunted. He only posted one assist in four games, but the experience saw him mature even further, a trait that clearly is one of his strongest. He said of his time at the Olympics, “That helped the transition I had this year. Just knowing I had the ability to do that. There was nothing I can’t do. Definitely a big confidence boost” (from ‘Nick Perbix’s rise from 6th round to Lightning’s top pair: ‘He’s proven a lot of people wrong,’ The Athletic, Dec. 22, 2022).
This time, when the Lightning came forward with another entry-level contract, Perbix felt better prepared. He signed a one-year, $925,000 contract on March 31, 2022. In the time since that first contract offer, about one year, he transformed from a college star to an Olympic athlete and now to an NHL pro. A feat few have accomplished.
Constant Improvement as Regular for the Lightning
In his first full professional season (2022-23), Perbix only played two games in the American Hockey League. He received an early-season call-up to the Lightning roster and made the most of his opportunity. In 69 games that season, he scored five goals and 15 assists. More impressive was his plus-11 rating and 15:23 of average ice time per game. A stat line like that makes you forget that he had been a sixth-round draft pick five years ago.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois clearly liked what he saw from the 24-year-old, inking Perbix to a two-year, $1.125 million extension in January 2023. He has rewarded BriseBois’ confidence with an improved second season, a demon he has cast out since his sophomore slump in college. He is on pace for 27 points and has further earned the trust of head coach Jon Cooper. This season he averages over one more minute and a half of ice time per night (16:56 through 42 games), and he has seen an uptick in shorthanded ice time.
The new year continues to see Perbix thrive. In six games he has notched one goal and four assists and played more than 21 minutes in four of those games. His consistency and commitment to improving are characteristics that coaches cherish in a player. As he has demonstrated throughout his career, Perbix does not mind putting in the work and waiting. That formula earned him a spot in the NHL, and it is earning him a bigger role on a team in desperate need of depth.
Patience is a Virtue
We will most likely never see Perbix put up flashy offensive numbers. Clearly, no one expects that or wants that from him. What makes him effective is his commitment to playing a steady defensive-minded, team game. Whether it is blocking shots or shutting down offensive rushes, he strives to put the team before himself. In fact, he used to feel so guilty when he was on the ice for a goal that it would negatively impact his game. He has shaken off the negative side effects but maintained his selfless play. It is paying off for both him and the Lightning.