Jason Karmanos, vice president and assistant general manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Jamie McBain on a three-year, entry-level contract.
McBain will join the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats, for the remainder of the 2008-09 season.
“Jamie had an outstanding season at Wisconsin, serving as an alternate captain and leading the team in scoring,” said Karmanos. “The time is right for him take the next step in his development and begin his professional career.”
McBain, 21, was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association 2008-09 Player of the Year, as he led the University of Wisconsin Badgers and ranked second among NCAA Division I defensemen in scoring with 37 points (7g, 30a). The Edina, Minn., native finishes his three-year collegiate career having scored 15 goals and earned 64 assists (79 points) in 111 games with the Badgers.
McBain (6’2”, 200 lbs.) represented the United States at the 2007 and 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships, helping Team USA capture the bronze medal in 2007. He is one of 10 NCAA Division I players to be selected as a finalist for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate hockey player.
The Hurricanes selected McBain in the second round, 63rd overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
