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Amateur As a youth, Strait played in the 2002
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Middlesex Islanders
minor ice hockey team. Strait played two seasons at the
Northfield Mount Hermon School, recording 12 points during his freshman season, and 20 the next year. Beginning in 2004 he joined the
U.S. National Development Team in the
North American Hockey League. He was the
captain of the gold-medal U.S. team at the
2006 IIHF World U18 Championships. After graduating from
Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in 2006, Strait attended
Boston University, where he began playing for the
Boston Terriers men's ice hockey team. In his freshman season, Strait was twice selected as
Hockey East rookie of the week. He served as captain of the U.S. team at the
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where the team finished fourth. That season he also was selected runner-up for the Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman award.
Professional After his junior season at Boston University, Strait signed a three-year entry-level contract with the
Pittsburgh Penguins, who selected Strait in
2006. He began his professional career a few months later with the Penguins'
American Hockey League affiliate, the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Strait made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh on February 21, 2011, against the
Washington Capitals. On the eve of the
lockout shortened
2012–13 season, he was picked off of waivers from the Penguins by the
New York Islanders January 18, 2013. After establishing his role within the Islanders defense after 6 games he signed a three-year one-way extension deal worth $775,000 per year on January 31, 2013. He scored his first NHL goal on December 20, 2013, against
Henrik Lundqvist of the
New York Rangers. On July 1, 2016, Strait signed a one-year contract as a free agent with the
Winnipeg Jets. Strait appeared in 5 games for 2 assists, over the course of the
2016–17 season, in his lone year with the Jets. Having left the Jets at the conclusion of his contract, Strait returned to the Metropolitan division, in signing a one-year, two-way contract with the
New Jersey Devils on July 1, 2017. In the
2017–18 season, he was reassigned to serve as an Alternate captain with the Devils AHL affiliate, the
Binghamton Devils. Adding a veteran presence for the B-Devils inaugural campaign, Strait appeared in 61 games for 8 points. On May 8, 2018, Strait opted to forgo free agency agreeing to a two-year, two-way extension to remain with the New Jersey Devils. ==Career statistics==