With their respective college seasons now finished, Langley Chiefs alum Derek Grant and Alberni Valley Bulldogs grad Harry Zolnierczyk can focus on the next chapter of their hockey careers in the professional ranks.
On Thursday, Grant signed an entry level deal with the Ottawa Senators after playing two seasons for the Michigan State Spartans while Zolnierczyk latched on with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free-agent signing after a four-year career at Brown University.
Grant's contract is a three-year pact while Zolnierczyk's is for one. Both players are expected to report to their respective clubs' American Hockey League affiliates.
Grant, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound forward, led MSU in scoring this season as a sophomore with eight goals and 25 assists. The Senators drafted him in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He played two years in Langley scoring 123 points in 92 regular season games.
“This was not an easy decision, but it is one I felt that was right for me,” said Grant in a media release. “I love everything about Michigan State, and I will always be a Spartan.”
Zolnierczyk was recently named the Ivy League Player of the Year and led the Bears in goals, points and penalty minutes. In two seasons with the Bulldogs, he posted 29 goals and 31 assists in 100 games.
“The teams that wanted to be involved made an offer,” Zolnierczyk said. “Once we narrowed it down to a few teams, I think it was just a gut feeling. It just felt right. … I talked it over with my mother and my agents there, and we felt Philly just had a good feeling.”
