Alex Pietrangelo
A calm, minute-eating defenseman who captained the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup and then delivered another to Vegas.
Born 1990 (age 36)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: January 18·Millennials
Biography
Alex Pietrangelo's game is one of quiet, efficient dominance. Drafted fourth overall by the St. Louis Blues, the smooth-skating defenseman developed into the franchise's cornerstone, a player who could effortlessly log thirty minutes a night against the opponent's best lines. His offensive instincts were sharp, but his true value was in his poised, cerebral play in his own zone. Handed the captaincy in 2016, he led a young Blues team through a period of consistent contention. The pinnacle came in 2019, when his late Game 7 goal against Boston helped secure St. Louis's first-ever Stanley Cup. In a stunning free-agent move, he then signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, instantly stabilizing their defense and, four years later, lifting the Cup again as their alternate captain. Pietrangelo's legacy is that of a winner who built two different franchises into champions.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Alex was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alex Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Alex's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Captained the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in 2019.
- Won a second Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 as an alternate captain.
- Was named a First-Team NHL All-Star in 2020 and a Second-Team All-Star in 2012.
- Represented Canada at the international level, winning gold at the 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Did You Know?
His nickname within hockey is 'Petro.'
He played junior hockey for both the Niagara IceDogs and the Barrie Colts in the OHL.
He scored the game-winning goal for the Blues in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
He and his wife have triplet daughters.
“My job is to make the right play and get the puck up to our guys.”
