Mick Hatten

mhatten@stcloudtimes.com

St. Cloud State starting goalie Charlie Lindgren has decided to bypass his senior season and play pro hockey.

Lindgren, who recently completed his junior season with the Huskies, said Tuesday morning that he plans to sign a deal with an NHL franchise.

"Hopefully, it gets finalized (Tuesday)," Lindgren said. "It's been a stressful process, but that's how you want it. You want tough decisions."

St. Cloud State forward Patrick Russell, who recently completed his sophomore season, said via text message that he has not made a final decision as to whether to turn pro or return to the Huskies next season.

Lindgren said that there were originally "10-15 teams" interested in him, but that "it quickly got whittled down to three of them."

Lindgren said that there is a deciding factor as to which team he signs with.

"The first thing is the best opportunity," Lindgren said. "Where do you see yourself having the best path to the NHL.

"As a rookie, I don't think the salary can change much. It's really all about the opportunity and the level of interest shown by the GMs and the teams."

SCSU's Prow is NCHC Player of the Year, wins 3 honors

Lindgren set a school record for wins in a season (30) and had a .925 save percentage and 2.13 goals-against average in 40 games for the Huskies. The goals-against average is the second-best in the school's Division I era (2.11, Jase Weslosky, 2007-08) and the save percentage is the fourth-best mark in a season.

Lindgren was recently named the NCHC Goaltender of the Year and was named to the NCHC All-Rookie team as a freshman.

Lindgren was the team's No. 1 goaltender each of the past two seasons and played on three straight teams that made the NCAA tournament. In 88 college games, Lindgren was 51-29-3 with a 2.21 GAA and .921 save percentage. The 2.21 career goals-against average sets a program Division I era record. The .921 save percentage is second at the school (Bobby Goepfert, .924, 2005-07) and the 51 wins are third.

"My three years at St. Cloud State have been the best years of my life, an absolute blast," said Lindgren, who is from Lakeville. "It's definitely a decision I thought about a lot and it's definitely a tough decision to leave the guys and the coaching staff and fans.

"I've just got the right opportunity in front of me and I'm going to take it."

Lindgren took part in the Minnesota Wild's prospects camp last summer. He was not drafted by an NHL team, so he was free to talk to all NHL teams about a contract.

Before joining St. Cloud State, Lindgren was named the USA Hockey Junior Goalie of the Year in 2012-13 after helping the Sioux Falls Stampede reach the United States Hockey League's Clark Cup playoff finals.

SCSU has 2 named to NCHC's 1st team, 2 to 2nd team

Lindgren's departure leaves St. Cloud State with two goalies on its roster. Rasmus Reijola recently completed his junior season and has been a backup goalie for three seasons. David Zevnik recently competed his freshman season, though he did not play in a game and will apply for a redshirt to give him four more seasons of eligibility.

The Huskies will also have Jeff Smith, a goalie who is playing with the Powell River Kings in the British Columbia Hockey League, on its roster in the fall. Smith is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound 20-year-old from Maple Ridge, British Columbia. This season, he was 25-12-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 42 regular season games for Powell River. He was 4-6 with a 2.88 GAA and .913 save percentage in 10 playoff games.

In 78 career games with Powell River, Smith was 45-24-2 with a 2.41 GAA and .924 save percentage during the regular season. In 19 playoff games, he was 8-10 with a 2.92 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Smith played the 2014-15 season with UMass-Lowell, so he will have three seasons of college eligibility remaining and is out of junior hockey eligibility.

The other goalie that St. Cloud State has a commitment from is Zachary Driscoll, a 19-year-old from Apple Valley. Driscoll was 21-4-0 with a 1.90 GAA and .933 save percentage in 26 regular season games for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. In nine playoff games, Driscoll is 5-4 with a 1.89 GAA and .925 save percentage.

Driscoll split the 2014-15 season between the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League (6-5-3, 2.19, .921) and the Omaha Lancers of the Unites States Hockey League (8-4-3, 2.86, .897).

Lindgren is the third straight starting goalie for the Huskies to leave after his junior season. Ryan Faragher left after his junior season to sign with Anaheim and Mike Lee left after his junior season to sign with Phoenix.

Follow Mick Hatten on Twitter, Instagram and at Facebook.com/sctimesmick. Reach him by phone at 259-3621.