Penn State's Nikita Pavlychev Signs AHL Contract

Nikita Pavlychev became the 7th Penn State hockey player to sign a pro contract this offseason.

Penn State's men's hockey team was pointed toward a potential Frozen Four appearance before its postseason was canceled at the Big Ten tournament. Since then, seven former Lions have signed professional contracts.

Nikita Pavlychev, a 6-8 center from Yaroslavl, Russia, became the latest by signing a one-year deal with the Syracuse Chiefs of the American Hockey League. Syracuse is affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"[Pavlychev] has proven to be a scoring threat, and there was definitely not a harder forward to play against in the entire NCAA," Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said in a statement. "We are very happy to see the work he has put in as a hockey player and an athlete pay off, and we’re all excited to see him succeed at the next level.”

Pavlychev scored 70 points, including 36 goals, during his career at Penn State. He had seven goals and seven assists last year for the Lions, who won the Big Ten regular-season championship.

Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015, Pavlychev became an unrestricted free agent Saturday.

"I will forever be grateful for the opportunity that Penn State has provided me with," Pavlychev said. "My four years as a Nittany Lion have not only helped me develop as a hockey player but as a person, too. I’ll always cherish the friendships that I have made along the way.”

Pavlychev, who graduated in May, was part of a senior class that won the Big Ten tournament in 2017 and made two NCAA tournaments. The Lions were ranked No. 7 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll in April.

The season's abrupt end launched a series of professional signings. Senior captain Brandon Biro signed a two-year entry-level contract with Buffalo, followed a few days later by Nate Sucese, who signed a one-year deal with Arizona. Sucese is the program's all-time leading scorer.

Liam Folkes, the team's senior alternate captain, signed a two-year contract with Bakersfield of the AHL, and goaltender Peyton Jones signed a two-year AHL deal with the Colorado Eagles.

Evan Barratt signed a three-year entry deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, thus skipping his senior year, and Cole Hults followed by signing a two-year entry deal with the Los Angeles Kings. Hults was voted the Big Ten's player of the year and defensive player of the year.

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