Photo: Union College
By The Raleigh Telegram
RALEIGH – The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have signed a free agent just out of college.
Last week, the team announced that they had signed former college forward Jeremy Welsh to an entry-level contract as a free agent.
Last season, Jeremy Welsh, age 23, scored 27 goals, 17 assists and 47 penalty minutes in 40 games for Union College. The team said he ranked first on the team and fourth in the NCAA in goals.
“Of all of the college free agents available, we identified Jeremy as the one who most fit our organizational needs,” said Ron Francis, of Director of Hockey Operations of the Hurricanes. “He provides another big body for us down the middle, and is a player who has shown character and leadership at the college level, in addition to scoring ability.”
According to the team, the one-year deal will pay Welsh $832,500 on the NHL level and $70,000 on the AHL level, along with a signing bonus of $92,500. He started with the Hurricanes in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday for the team’s final game of the 2011-12 NHL season.
According to the Hurricanes, the Bayfield, Ontario, native had nine points in eight postseason games for the Dutchmen, including a five-game goal-scoring streak to lead Union to its first ECAC Hockey Championship and first “Frozen Four” berth in school history.
Welsh was also named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for March, Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC Championship and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional said the team.
The Hurricanes said Welsh that in his three-year collegiate career he scored 100 points (53 goals, 47 assists) in 119 games for Union College. In high school, he played for the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, totaling 36 goals and 47 assists (83 points) in 49 regular-season games in 2008-09. In 2007-08, he helped lead the Blades to the Buckland Cup title, Dudley Hewitt Cup championship and Ontario Hockey Association championship. He also participated in the Royal Bank Cup, where he was voted best forward. ::
Article Posted: Sunday, April 8th, 2012
