– Jason Karmanos, Executive Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team signed forward Zach Boychuk (BOY-chuhk) to a one-year contract. The deal will pay Boychuk $625,000 on the NHL level or $105,000 on the American Hockey League (AHL) level in 2012-13.

Boychuk, 22, split the 2011-12 season between Carolina and the team’s AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers. The Airdrie, Alb., native earned two assists in 16 NHL games, averaging 8:55 in ice time per game. Boychuk (5’10”, 185 lbs.) led the Checkers with 21 goals, and ranked third among Charlotte skaters with 44 points in 64 AHL games.

Selected by the Hurricanes in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Boychuk has scored seven goals and earned 11 assists in 72 career NHL games. He has totaled 58 goals and 88 assists (146 points) in 178 career AHL games with Albany and Charlotte. Prior to turning professional, Boychuk skated in 237 regular-season games over four seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, totaling 110 goals and 161 assists (271 points). He captured gold medals with Canada at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain during the 2009 World Juniors.