# Paul Bissonnette
**Paul Bissonnette**, nicknamed "Biz" or "Biz Nasty", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 202 regular-season games in the [National Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-hockey-league) as an enforcer and fourth-line forward for the [Pittsburgh Penguins](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh-penguins) and Phoenix Coyotes, and who became a prominent hockey media personality as a studio analyst for [NHL on TNT](https://www.edgepedia.org/nhl-on-tnt) and co-host of the Barstool Sports podcast Spittin' Chiclets.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Draft | Pittsburgh Penguins, 4th round, 121st overall, 2003 NHL Entry Draft[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bissopa01.html) |
| NHL career | 202 games, 7 goals, 15 assists, 22 points, 340 penalty minutes, 2008-09 to 2013-14[2](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats) |
| Playing role | Came up as a defenseman through junior hockey and the minors, converted to a fourth-line forward and enforcer in the NHL[3](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette) |
| Pro career length | 12 seasons of professional hockey, including five seasons with the Arizona Coyotes organization in the NHL[4](https://press.wbd.com/ca/media-release/tnt-sports/critically-acclaimed-nhl-tnt-commentator-roster-set-2023-24-season) |
| Broadcasting | Coyotes radio color analyst from September 2017; NHL on TNT studio analyst since the network's inaugural NHL season in 2021[5](https://press.wbd.com/us/na/media-release/tnt-sports/turner-sports-bolsters-nhl-game-and-studio-commentator-team) • [4](https://press.wbd.com/ca/media-release/tnt-sports/critically-acclaimed-nhl-tnt-commentator-roster-set-2023-24-season) |
| Podcast | Co-host, with former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney, of Spittin' Chiclets on Barstool Sports[5](https://press.wbd.com/us/na/media-release/tnt-sports/turner-sports-bolsters-nhl-game-and-studio-commentator-team) |
| Position and size | Left wing, 6'2", 216 lbs[2](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats) |
## Playing career
Bissonnette was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fourth round, 121st overall, of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft[1](https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bissopa01.html). He came up as a defenseman through junior hockey and the minor leagues, playing in the ECHL and the [American Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-hockey-league), before turning into a fourth-line forward in the NHL[3](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette). Analysts later noted that he had been a very good defensive defenseman in juniors and was converted to forward to serve as an enforcer in the AHL, a move one hockey analytics writer described as a lost opportunity for a possible NHL career in his original position[6](https://hockey-graphs.com/2015/04/22/grantland-features-knuckles-vs-numbers/).
His NHL debut came with [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) in 2008-09, appearing in 15 games with one assist[2](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats). He signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in September 2009[7](https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/9473/paul-bissonnette) and spent the rest of his NHL career there, with his heaviest season of work in 2009-10, when he played 41 games and recorded 117 penalty minutes[2](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats). His career totals across six NHL seasons were 202 games, 7 goals, 15 assists, 22 points, and 340 penalty minutes, with an average time on ice of 5:18 per game[2](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats). He added 4 playoff appearances with 15 penalty minutes[2](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats).
**Enforcer role.** Bissonnette made his name on the ice as an enforcer for the Coyotes, protecting teammates in a role that averaged about five minutes of ice time per game[8](https://www.rotowire.com/hockey/player.php?id=3124) • [9](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2161015-10-nhl-enforcers-least-likely-to-find-work-in-the-2014-15-season). Despite the reputation, he engaged in only three fights during the 2013-14 season, and analytics work comparing even-strength possession numbers found he was not as poor by the numbers as other enforcers such as Brian McGrattan and Colton Orr[9](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2161015-10-nhl-enforcers-least-likely-to-find-work-in-the-2014-15-season) • [6](https://hockey-graphs.com/2015/04/22/grantland-features-knuckles-vs-numbers/). During the 2012 NHL lockout he signed with the Cardiff Devils of Great Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League[8](https://www.rotowire.com/hockey/player.php?id=3124).
He has spoken publicly about the psychological side of the role, telling The Players' Tribune about the anxiety associated with the build-up to a fight and the way analytics have diminished hockey fights[10](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/paul-bissonnette-talks-persona-anxiety-and-analytics/). He retired from professional hockey in 2017[11](https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/forgotten-penguins-players-paul-bissonnette).
## Media career
Bissonnette's path into media began with social media. He has said that because his role carried a minimal ask of on-ice performance, he started tweeting when Twitter became popular, connecting with fans in an Arizona market that allowed him to be himself, and that this spearheaded his post-playing opportunities[3](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette) • [12](https://barrettmedia.com/2023/05/05/paul-bissonette-explains-how-his-media-career-began-on-social-media/). His Twitter account, @BizNasty2point0, made him one of the NHL's better-known enforcers while he was still playing[9](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2161015-10-nhl-enforcers-least-likely-to-find-work-in-the-2014-15-season) • [10](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/paul-bissonnette-talks-persona-anxiety-and-analytics/).
**Coyotes broadcasting.** After retiring, he joined the Coyotes radio team as a color commentator, a role he began in September 2017 and served until the end of the 2023-24 season, while also producing digital media content for the team's website and social media platforms[5](https://press.wbd.com/us/na/media-release/tnt-sports/turner-sports-bolsters-nhl-game-and-studio-commentator-team) • [11](https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/forgotten-penguins-players-paul-bissonnette).
**Spittin' Chiclets.** Bissonnette co-hosts the Spittin' Chiclets podcast on [Barstool Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/barstool-sports) alongside former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney[5](https://press.wbd.com/us/na/media-release/tnt-sports/turner-sports-bolsters-nhl-game-and-studio-commentator-team). He has described the show's concept as recreating the boys-at-the-bar atmosphere of a hockey locker room, telling stories the way teammates did[3](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette). He has credited his social media following with helping grow the podcast early on, since the other hosts had no following of their own at the time[12](https://barrettmedia.com/2023/05/05/paul-bissonette-explains-how-his-media-career-began-on-social-media/). In 2018 he produced a five-part documentary series, Biznasty Does B.C., exploring [British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-columbia) with hockey players including [Shea Weber](https://www.edgepedia.org/shea-weber), Morgan Rielly, and Connor McDavid[5](https://press.wbd.com/us/na/media-release/tnt-sports/turner-sports-bolsters-nhl-game-and-studio-commentator-team) • [13](https://barrettmedia.com/2022/07/05/paul-bissonnette-is-the-nhls-new-med/).
**NHL on TNT.** He has said Gretzky was instrumental in getting him the job, with the suggestion originating around Gretzky's sons that TNT should "get Biz" as a wild card[3](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette). On the show he serves as analyst, catalyst, and comic relief, and has worked TNT's biggest regular-season broadcasts, including the Discover NHL Winter Classic[3](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette).
## Significance
Bissonnette recorded just 22 points across 202 career NHL games, yet became one of hockey media's most prominent voices, a contrast he has acknowledged himself[14](https://frontofficesports.com/article/paul-bissonnettes-curiosity-media-nhl-tnt/). He is frequently cited as an example of "new media", a cohort of athletes who tell their own stories through their own platforms and convert that engagement into second careers in sports media[13](https://barrettmedia.com/2022/07/05/paul-bissonnette-is-the-nhls-new-med/).
## References
1. [Paul Bissonnette Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Title, Hockey-Reference.com](https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bissopa01.html)
2. [Paul Bissonnette Stats, NHL.com](https://www.nhl.com/player/paul-bissonnette-8470713/stats)
3. ['Biz' talks TNT, Winter Classic in Q&A, NHL.com, December 24, 2024](https://www.nhl.com/news/sitting-down-with-paul-bissonnette)
4. [Critically Acclaimed NHL on TNT Commentator Roster Set for 2023-24 Season, WBD Pressroom](https://press.wbd.com/ca/media-release/tnt-sports/critically-acclaimed-nhl-tnt-commentator-roster-set-2023-24-season)
5. [Turner Sports Bolsters NHL Game and Studio Commentator Team, WBD Pressroom](https://press.wbd.com/us/na/media-release/tnt-sports/turner-sports-bolsters-nhl-game-and-studio-commentator-team)
6. [Knuckles vs. Numbers, Hockey Graphs, April 22, 2015](https://hockey-graphs.com/2015/04/22/grantland-features-knuckles-vs-numbers/)
7. [Paul Bissonnette, Elite Prospects](https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/9473/paul-bissonnette)
8. [Paul Bissonnette: News, Stats, Game Logs, RotoWire](https://www.rotowire.com/hockey/player.php?id=3124)
9. [10 NHL Enforcers Least Likely to Find Work in the 2014-15 Season, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2161015-10-nhl-enforcers-least-likely-to-find-work-in-the-2014-15-season)
10. [Paul Bissonnette talks persona, anxiety, and analytics, Sportsnet](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/paul-bissonnette-talks-persona-anxiety-and-analytics/)
11. [Forgotten Penguins Players: Paul Bissonnette, The Hockey News](https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/forgotten-penguins-players-paul-bissonnette)
12. [Paul Bissonnette Explains How His Media Career Began On Social Media, Barrett Media, May 5, 2023](https://barrettmedia.com/2023/05/05/paul-bissonette-explains-how-his-media-career-began-on-social-media/)
13. [Paul Bissonnette Is The NHL's New Media, Barrett Media, July 5, 2022](https://barrettmedia.com/2022/07/05/paul-bissonnette-is-the-nhls-new-med/)
14. [Paul Bissonnette's Curiosity Drives His Media Career, Front Office Sports, May 8, 2023](https://frontofficesports.com/article/paul-bissonnettes-curiosity-media-nhl-tnt/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › Ice hockey players and personnel › Wingers › Retired wingers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license