RALEIGH, NC - Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Jacob Pritchard to a one-year, entry-level contract. The deal is for the 2019-20 season and will pay him $750,000 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level, and he receives a signing bonus of $92,500. Pritchard will report to Charlotte for the remainder of this season on an amateur try-out agreement.

"Jacob had a very productive year playing for one of the top teams in college hockey at UMass," said Waddell. "He was highly effective on the power play this season and we're excited to see what he can do at the professional level."

Pritchard, 24, recorded 47 points (16g, 31a) in 41 NCAA games with the University of Massachusetts this season. He led all NCAA skaters in power play points (26), while ranking tied for fourth nationally in assists and tied for fifth in points. The 6'0", 193-pound forward played three seasons at St. Lawrence before joining UMass as a graduate transfer for the 2018-19 season.

Pritchard finished his college career having posted 110 points (43g, 67a) in 137 games from 2015-19, winning the Hockey East regular season title and appearing in the National Championship game this season with the Minutemen. The Macomb, Mich., native registered 76 points (39g, 37a) in 54 games with the BCHL's Powell River Kings in 2014-15, finishing third in the league in goals and fifth in points. In 2013-14, he tallied 36 points (14g, 22a) in 49 games with the USHL's Indiana Ice and won the Clark Cup.