Minnesota Golden Gophers Ben Meyers signed with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, signing the star center to a two-year entry-level contract.
Meyers starred for the Gophers last season, scoring a team-high 17 goals and 40 points in 34 games. The Delano native also led Minnesota to the Big Ten regular-season championship and their first trip to the Frozen Four since 2014, where they were defeated in the national semifinals by Minnesota State.
A Hobey Baker Award finalist, Meyers had a white-hot market as a collegiate free agent. Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that the Minnesota Wild met with Meyers in St. Paul on Tuesday and that some believed he was leaning toward signing with the team.
But ultimately, Meyers opted to join one of the most loaded rosters in the National Hockey League.
While Meyers will burn the first year of his deal and play in the regular season, he is not eligible to play in the playoffs because he was not rostered at the trade deadline.
