The Lake Erie Monsters have signed left wing Tom Fritsche to an amateur tryout (ATO) contract. Fritsche could make his professional debut tonight when the Monsters host the Chicago Wolves at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Fritsche has strong hockey ties to the area: he is a native of nearby Parma, Ohio; he is coming off a four-year career at Ohio State University; and his brother Dan plays for Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 21-year-old Fritsche played in 137 games at OSU, scoring 32 goals and recording 75 assists for a total of 107 points in that time. He led the Buckeyes in scoring in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Fritsche won numerous CCHA conference awards at Ohio State, including All-Rookie team (2004-05) and the Terry Flanagan Memorial Award (2006-07), which is given to an upperclassman that has overcome some type of personal adversity and is active on the university campus and surrounding community.
Fritsche was the Colorado Avalanche’s second-round selection (47th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
