Oilers’ first-rounder Eberle heads to Springfield

spr_200.jpg Jordan Eberle has signed a tryout contract with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons after being signed to a three-year NHL entry-level contract by the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Eberle, the Oilers’ first choice, 22nd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, recently completed his third season of junior hockey with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. The 5’10”, 181-pound center from Regina, Sask., led the Pats in scoring with 35-39-74 in 61 games.

The 18-year-old forward, who will turn 19 on May 15, led Regina in goal scoring with 35 and was second in assists while registering 20 penalty minutes. Thirty-six of his 74 points came on the power play as he scored 12-24-36 with the Pats enjoying the man advantage. His 12 power-play goals ranked 15th in the WHL, while he was 11th in power-play assists.

A member of the WHL East Division First All-Star Team in 2007-08, Eberle scored 105-99-204 with 72 penalty minutes in 197 career regular season games with Regina in three seasons from 2006-07 to 2008-09. He scored a single-season high 42-33-75 in 70 games in 2007-08 to finish 15th in the WHL scoring race.

Eberle became a Canadian hockey hero at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ont., when he scored the tying goal in Canada’s 6-5 OT win over Russia in the tournament semifinal. Eberle, who finished third on the Team Canada scoring list with 6-7-13 in six games, tied the game with five seconds remaining in regulation and after a scoreless overtime, he was one of two Canadians to score in the shootout as Canada advanced to the gold medal final where they defeated Sweden.

Eberle was second on Team Canada in both goals and assists, while scoring two power-play goals and was plus-9 with two penalty minutes.