Brandon's Zach Whitecloud signed by NHL's Vegas Golden Knights
The 21-year-old defenceman, who played at Bemidji State University, will wear jersey No. 2 for Vegas
The NHL's Vegas Golden Knights have signed free agent Zach Whitecloud, a Dakota man originally from Brandon, Man., to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The 21-year-old defenceman, who played at Bemidji State University, is expected to join the team in Buffalo on Friday. The Golden Knights play the Sabres Saturday afternoon.
The Brandon-born Whitecloud recently finished his sophomore year with Bemidji State, where he tallied four goals and 14 assists in 36 games.
In November 2017 he suited up for Team Canada in the 2017 Karjala Cup, where he had one assist in two games.
The tournament in Finland was a chance for Team Canada officials to evaluate potential players for the Olympic team.
🎥 George McPhee talks about the team's latest addition in Zach Whitecloud<br><br>Watch 👇 <a href="https://t.co/ZzQBMgLz1j">pic.twitter.com/ZzQBMgLz1j</a>
—@GoldenKnightsWhitecloud was invited by Hockey Canada after the NHL barred its players from going to the 2018 Winter Games for the first time since 1994. He didn't end up making the team, however.
The Golden Knights have said Whitecloud will wear jersey No. 2.
Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said Whitecloud was "highly sought-after" by a lot of NHL teams and Vegas is delighted to have him.
There's no plan on when he will be in the team's lineup, however.
"The benefit of having him here is he can really learn a lot, being around the pros and practising and training with us."