UVM’s 1st rounder Zemgus Girgensons signs for Buffalo Sabres in a three years contract –NHL Update
Zemgus Girgensons, who was 14th overall pick in the 1st round of NHL draft in June, has signed for Buffalo Sabres of Northeast division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).
In an entry level contract, Girgensons was signed by Buffalo Sabres for three-years, he would start his playing career with Rochester Americans.
18-year-old Centre of Latvia, born in Riga (capital city of Latvia) on 5th January 1994, is the highest ranked Latvian ice-hockey player in the draft when he finished 14th in the 2012 NHL entry draft. Before him highest ranked Latvian
in the NHL entry draft was Sandis Ozolins, who had finished 30th in the 1991 NHL entry draft and went on to become a NHL great by playing 19 seasons, scoring 167 goals, 397 assists and 564 points.
39-year-old Latvian who is currently captain of Dinamo Riga in Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) played for 6 different teams in NHL and those teams were San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and
New York Rangers. Girgensons surely would like to follow into the footsteps of Ozolins who was highest paid Latvian sportsman before NBA Basketball player Andris Biedrins.
Girgensons, in the first season (2009-2010) played for Green Mountain Glades in the Eastern Junior Hockey League at the age of just 15 and made an impact by scoring 28 goals, 20 assists and scoring total of 57 points in just 42 games.
He was immediately called to Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League in the following and his performance there was even better. In the two seasons he played there he scored 21 goals, 28 assists and total of 49 points in the first season
(2010-2011) and 24 goals, 31 assists, having a total number of 55 points in the second season (2011-2012).
This was something that got Buffalo Sabres interested in him and they are happy to sign him. General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres, Darcy Regier said, “We’re delighted he decided to join us to play pro.”
But Girgensons departure from Vermont Catamounts may prove costly for Catamounts as he had committed to them to play in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). But signing this professional contract with Buffalo Sabres, now makes him ineligible
to play in the NCAA.
UVM’s head coach, Kevin Sneddon said in a press release on Friday, “It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Zemgus Girgensons will not enroll at UVM in September and instead sign an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Throughout the recruiting process,
Zemgus has been very loyal to UVM, turning down offers to play Major Junior Hockey as well as Russia’s premier professional league, the KHL, in order to maintain his goal of playing for the Catamounts”.
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