Paul Mara

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Paul Mara
Paul Mara bloody 2011-03-12.JPG
Mara with the Canadiens in March 2011
Born (1979-09-07) September 7, 1979 (age 45)
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position Defense
Shot Left
Played for Tampa Bay Lightning
Phoenix Coyotes
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim Ducks
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 7th overall, 1997
Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career 1999–2013

Paul Richard Mara (born September 7, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey defenceman, former head coach of the Boston Pride in the PHF (formerly NWHL), and current Assistant Coach of the Hartford WolfPack in the AHL. Additionally, he served temporarily as an Assistant to Player Development for the New York Rangers of the NHL in 2023-24.

Contents

He was selected 7th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, and went on to play 12 seasons in the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Amateur

As a youth, Mara played in the 1993 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from the South Shore. [1]

After playing two seasons of high school hockey in Massachusetts for Belmont Hill School [2] Paul Mara joined the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League for the 1996–97 season. As part of a three-team trade with the Windsor Spitfires, Mara was traded to the Plymouth Whalers on December 16, 1997. [3] In reflecting on his move from high school to Junior hockey Mara said, "It was the best decision of my life, to go up to Sudbury." [4]

Professional

Mara was drafted in the first round, 7th overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. [5] He spent two seasons between the Lightning and their IHL affiliate team the Detroit Vipers before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in 2001. He played 81 games with the Coyotes in 2003–04. During the 2004 NHL lockout, Mara joined the Hannover Scorpions of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

After the lockout, Paul Mara scored a career-high 47 points that year. On June 26, 2006, he was traded by the Coyotes to the Boston Bruins for fellow defenseman Nick Boynton. [3]

On February 27, 2007, Mara was traded to the New York Rangers for Aaron Ward. [3] On July 4, 2008, Mara re-signed with the Rangers for one year at $1.95 million.

On July 10, 2009, Mara signed with the Montreal Canadiens. [6]

On September 16, 2010, Mara signed with the Anaheim Ducks for one year at $750,000. After appearing in 33 games with the Ducks to start the 2010–11 season, on February 16, 2011, Mara was traded by the Ducks to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2012 fifth-round draft pick. He took a brief break from hockey during the 2011–12 season.

On September 26, 2012, Mara signed a one-year contract with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL. [7]

On January 9, 2013, Mara signed with the Houston Aeros after the team became short on defensemen due to a combination of injuries and the end of the NHL lockout.

Mara with the Rangers in 2008 PaulMara.JPG
Mara with the Rangers in 2008

Coaching career

Mara was the assistant coach of the 2018 Olympic United States women's national ice hockey team. [8] On May 30, 2018, Mara was named head coach of the PHF's (formerly NWHL) Boston Pride. [9] He is currently the head coach with the most wins in PHF history, and one of only two coaches to win more than 30 games. [10] Mara became the first coach in PHF history to win 50 games in November 2022. [11]

Personal life

Mara was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and despite his birthplace, he is of no relation to the family of Wellington Mara, who were known for their ownership of the NFL's New York Giants. Mara was raised in Belmont, Massachusetts.

His older brother, Rob Mara, was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in eleventh round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. [12]

International play

Mara was a member of the 1996–97, 1997–98, and 1998–99 United States World Junior Championship teams. He also played for the United States at the 2004 World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1994–95 Belmont Hill School HS-Prep 285172228—————
1995–96Belmont Hill SchoolHS-Prep2818203840—————
1996–97 Sudbury Wolves OHL 449344361—————
1997–98 Sudbury WolvesOHL258182679—————
1997–98 Plymouth Whalers OHL258152330153141730
1998–99 Plymouth WhalersOHL521341549511571228
1998–99 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 11120—————
1999–2000 Detroit Vipers IHL 1535822—————
1999–2000 Tampa Bay LightningNHL547111873—————
2000–01 Detroit VipersIHL1033622—————
2000–01 Tampa Bay LightningNHL466101640—————
2000–01 Phoenix Coyotes NHL1604414—————
2001–02 Phoenix CoyotesNHL75717245850004
2002–03 Phoenix CoyotesNHL7310152578—————
2003–04 Phoenix CoyotesNHL816364248—————
2004–05 Hannover Scorpions DEL 355131889—————
2005–06 Phoenix CoyotesNHL7815324770—————
2006–07 Boston Bruins NHL593151895—————
2006–07 New York Rangers NHL19235181022418
2007–08 New York RangersNHL6111617521001120
2008–09 New York RangersNHL76516219471128
2009–10 Montreal Canadiens NHL4208848—————
2010–11 Anaheim Ducks NHL3311240—————
2010–11Montreal CanadiensNHL200444810000
2012–13 Ontario Reign ECHL 281171875—————
2012–13 Houston Aeros AHL 361101189501118
NHL totals734641892537763334750

International

Medal record
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Prague
World Junior Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1997 Geneva
YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
1997 United States WJC Silver medal icon.svg60000
1998 United StatesWJC5th71126
1999 United StatesWJC8th614522
2004 United States WC Bronze medal icon.svg91238
Junior totals1925728
Senior totals91238

References

  1. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ "NHL Player Bio - Paul Mara". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on January 13, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "NHL Player Search - Paul Mara". Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ Finder, Chuck (June 17, 1997). "Blue line special - Defenceman Paul Mara is top rated American in NHL draft". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. B4. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  5. ↑ "1997 NHL Entry Draft". The Internet Hockey Database. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  6. ↑ Aintabi, Elie (July 10, 2009). "Paul Mara Signs $1.9 Million Deal With Montreal Canadiens". bleacherreport.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  7. ↑ Hendrick, Laura. "Reign Sign NHL Veteran to Blue Line". Ontario Reign. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Paul Mara Named Head Coach of Boston Pride". May 30, 2018. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ Press Release (May 30, 2018). "USNT's Paul Mara Named Head Coach of the Boston Pride". NWHL.zone. Retrieved August 24, 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Boston Pride sign GM Karilyn Pilch, head coach Paul Mara to multi-year contracts". April 8, 2020. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Paul Mara becomes the first coach in PHF history to hit 50 games". November 23, 2022. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  12. ↑ "1994 NHL Entry Draft". The Internet Hockey Database. Archived from the original on October 10, 2004. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
Preceded by Tampa Bay Lightning first round draft pick
1997 		Succeeded by
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