Paul Cavallini was a dependable Canadian defenseman who played ten NHL seasons (1986–1995) primarily with the St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars. Drafted 205th overall by Washington in 1984, he quietly carved out a role as a reliable, defensively minded blue-liner. His standout season came in 1989–90 with St. Louis, where he led the entire NHL in plus-minus (+38) and earned selection to the NHL All-Star Game—winning the Plus/Minus Award that year . Over his career, he played 564 regular‑season games, scoring 56 goals and adding 177 assists (233 points), while accumulating 750 penalty minutes. His career was also marked by remarkable toughness—once blocking a slap shot that severed the tip of his finger, which he found in his glove midgame—and he returned to the ice just weeks later