Sioux Falls, SD- Former Stampede forward T.J. Oshie signed a three-year NHL contract with the St. Louis Blues earlier today. He will be paid $850,000 a year with the potential to make $900,000 per year through bonuses. He will report to the Blues developmental camp in June and is on tap to make the team when training camp begins in the fall.
Oshie spent the past three seasons at the University of North Dakota where he posted 142 points (55g, 83a) in 128 career games. This past year, he led the team in scoring with 45 points (18g, 27a) in 42 games and helped lead the Fighting Sioux to their fourth straight trip to the Frozen Four. He was also a first-team All-WCHA and one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top college hockey player of the year.
A native of Warroad, MN, Oshie was a 1st round draft choice (24th overall) of the Blues in 2005. That same round, teammate Joe Finely was taken 27th overall by the Washington Capitals as the Stampede became the first USHL team to have two players drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft.
Oshie attended the Blues developmental camp last summer and graded out as the team's top prospect, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He could have signed then, but returned to school citing a hunger for another shot at a national championship.
Oshie spent part of the 2004-05 season with the Stampede, posting five points (3g, 2a) in 11 games with the Herd.
STAMPEDE READY FOR DRAFT TOMORROW
The 2008 USHL Draft will take place tomorrow starting at 9 AM. The Stampede hold the 9th overall pick in the draft and will pick 7th overall in the second and third rounds. With Ohio ceasing operations, rights to their 12 returning players have been transferred to the expansion Fargo Force. As a result, the expansion draft that was scheduled for today has been cancelled and Fargo has relinquished their picks in the first three rounds.
The Stampede have protected 10 players from last year's squad and four players on their "future" list. With a total of 14 players protected the Stampede will have picks in the first nine rounds of the draft. Once they reach 23 players, the Herd must wait until all teams rosters reach 23 players. Once every team is at 23, they begin selecting players until their roster reaches 30 and the draft is then complete.
Click here for a list of protected players by each team.
All the players drafted tomorrow will be invited to the Stampede's tryout camp, May 30-June 2nd at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. As always, camp is free and open to the public.
Fans can follow the USHL Draft "live" tomorrow by going to www.ushldraft.com starting at 9 AM. Fans can also check the Stampede website:
www.sfstampede.com for continuous updates.
GUENTZEL COMMITS TO COLORADO COLLEGE
Sioux Falls, SD-The Sioux Falls Stampede also announced today that defenseman Gabe Guentzel (Gen-zull) has committed to Colorado College for the upcoming 2008-09 season. A second round draft pick of the Stampede during the 2007 USHL Draft, Guentzel posted 24 points (6g, 22a) and was a plus-2 in 60 games with the Herd this past season. All four of Guentzel's goal came on the powerplay.
Prior to joining the Stampede, the Woodbury, MN native recorded 30 points (6g, 24a) in 72 games with the Southern Minnesota Express of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
Guentzel becomes the 10th Stampede player to commit to a Division I program this season. While at Colorado College, Guentzel will join former Stampede players Nate Prosser, Matt Overman, and Cody Lampl.
The Tigers are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and are coming off a 28-12-1 season in which they claimed the WCHA regular season championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Colorado College is located in Colorado Springs, CO.
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