Corpus Christi, Texas – In any sport, defensemen are expected to have a sense of toughness. In hockey, defenseman also fill the roles of enforcers.
One member of the Corpus Christi IceRays fits the description of playing with toughness and grit to go along with some really good leadership skills.
Just don’t let the beaming smile fool you from the man known as Big Karl.
IceRays defenseman Karl Persman has put his stamp on the team’s defense. Not so much by being the tough-guy defenseman, which he can be, but also being a student of the game.
Persman has made his presence known in Corpus Christi, the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and in the United States of America.
A presence at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds from Orebo, Sweden, Persman uses his tenacity and wingspan to thwart opponents and is especially effective when it comes to killing the opponent’s power play.
In 16 games so far in his first season with the IceRays, Persman has yet to put up a point (0 goals, 0 assists), but averages just less than a shot a game.
His contribution comes from being tough as well as big, when it comes to providing help on the penalty killing.
“I talked to the coaches too about it and for me, it’s mostly about helping the team in other aspects like the on the ‘PK,’” Persman said. “I mean, I tried to use my size obviously and I got a pretty long reach too. To be honest, I’ve always been there. You know the tall guy, maybe not the most skilled guy, but I’ve always been on the ‘PK’. So like when you’re on the penalty kill for like minute after minute, hour after hour, you like learn the systems.”
And learn he has. IceRays head coach Sylvain Cloutier makes sure Persman is one of the guys on the ice when the team is short-handed.
“When you get a chance to get a defenseman, who’s 6-foot-7 on skates and with that reach on his stick, it’s a no brainer to bring him in,” Cloutier said. “Carl’s been nothing but great for us. He’s great on the ice, he’s great in the dressing room on, and off the ice.”
Cloutier sees first-hand Persman’s tenacity as he focuses on reaching his personal goals.
“You know, he wants to get better all the time,” Cloutier said of Persman. “Even though he’s an older guy, he’s still trying to make it to that next level and get that scholarship.”
Although Persman is focused on the next level, he is also focused on the task at hand with the IceRays.
“I would say it’s like first of all, I’d like to help the team to get the playoffs because before this year, I just focused a lot on like the next step like playing college or playing pro or whatever,” Persman said “But like this year I just wanted to focus on this year and not think a lot about the future.”
While the future could be bright for Persman, his past has been an interesting journey.
Coming from a basketball playing family, Persman played soccer growing up, tried his hand at swimming and played floorball, a form of floor hockey.
His first experience on ice didn’t convince anyone that he’d ever have the desire to play hockey.
“Essentially, kind of a funny story because I was 6-years old and my father brought me to the rink and I tried it out and I just said to him straight away, I don’t want to do this, take me out of here,” Persman reminisced.
During the summer following his first rink experience, Persman went back to his dad with a change of heart “out of nowhere” and told him he wanted to play hockey the following winter.
Persman was back on the ice with the desire to be a hockey player. Then he figured out that being a defenseman might be in his best interest.
“When I was a little kid, I just wanted to score goals and every time I got the puck, I just went straight out in the neutral zone and tried to get a breakaway or something,” Persman recalled. “I was kind of in the development stage for me and my coach said ‘maybe you want to be a defenseman to try to touch the puck more and be a little calmer out there.’ So I just tried it out and I liked it more and more.”
Having a size-advantage also came into play for Persman.
“Obviously, it’s a little bit easier to use your size in front of your own net as a defensive guy,” Persman said. “Now that I’m older, I’m pretty happy and feeling good out there.”
Persman had a perfect role model growing up in former NHL defenseman Zdeno Chara, who retired in 2022 after playing 24 seasons in the NHL.
“Such a role model. I’m looking up to him like the human being he is,” Persman said of Chara. “You know, like listening to all kinds of podcasts and stuff and what people say about him, the leader he is like. Obviously, his off-season training and everything and like the way he plays too. Such a mature two-way game and being that bigger body is pretty impressive, and that many years in the league.”
Cloutier feels Persman’s work ethic is most impressive.
“Karl comes to work,” Cloutier said. “He’s been there and done that over in Sweden and those leadership qualities, you don’t have to have a C or letter on your jersey to be a leader and he’s been nothing but that for us.”
And Persman continues to try to push his team forward.
“If we do the right things now as a team and we’re going to the playoffs, every one of us is gonna get scouted more,” Persman said. “The scouts are going to see some players and stuff, so doing better as a team also makes it better. So that’s what we want to accomplish.”
The IceRays are in their bye week before hosting the Oklahoma Warriors Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 at 7:05 at the American Bank Center
You can watch the games on NAHLTV.com and can also catch them on Brewster Street Radio.
For more info on the IceRays visit goicerays.com.
