739 Shares Share Tweet Share Share Email

The Anaheim Ducks drafted blue liner Andrew Welinski with the 83rd overall draft selection at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft – and now, after four years of NCAA hockey for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the defenseman has inked an entry-level deal with the team.

The Ducks inked Welinski to a two year entry level contract on Sunday afternoon, paying the Duluth native $1.775 million per season. He’ll take up $925,000 in cap space each season, then earn a $92,500 signing bonus in each of the two years that his first pro contract will take up.

A hometown player for Minnesota-Duluth, Welinski finished his fourth and final collegiate hockey season with six goals and 19 points over 40 NCAA games, which was good for sixth on the team in scoring and first among defenseman. It was a slight dip from the blue liner’s performance the year prior, during which Welinski was good for nine goals and 21 points in as many games for the collegiate organization, but his production during all four seasons suggest that the former team draft pick will make an impact when he joins up with the organization.

Now that the Ducks have inked Welinski, he’ll be eligible to finish out the spring with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. He’ll report to the minor league club for the rest of the season, where he could help them push for a playoff run and spend more time on the ice heading into April and May.