DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to a three-year, entry-level contract.
"We are happy to have Nathan under contract and anxious to see him at training camp," said Avalanche Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic. "His presence will bring additional speed and talent to our team, as well as a lot of excitement to our fans."
MacKinnon, 17, was the first overall selection at the 2013 NHL Draft on June 30 in Newark, N.J. He is the first player to be selected No.1 overall by the Avalanche since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995. The Avalanche/Nordiques franchise had drafted first overall on three previous occasions: 1989 (Mats Sundin), 1990 (Owen Nolan) and 1991 (Eric Lindros).
"The signing of this first NHL contract represents for me another step towards becoming a professional hockey player," MacKinnon said. "I am excited and thrilled to have been drafted by the Avalanche, and I am already working very hard in order to be ready physically and mentally for training camp."
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