The Boston Bruins didn’t waste any time securing the future of Everett Silvertips center Zach Hamill.
A mere six weeks after making Hamill the eighth overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, Boston inked the slick playmaker to an entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday.
“It’s unbelievable,” Hamill said from his home in Port Coquitlam, B.C. “It’s been a pretty good summer, first with the draft and now signing my first ever pro contract.”
The 18-year-old actually signed the contract Tuesday morning. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hamill is the most accomplished player in Silvertips history. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder was the team’s first ever bantam draft pick, taken third overall in 2003. He is the franchise leader in career goals (61), assists (126) and points (187), as well as the playoff career leader in assists (25) and points (35). Last season he earned the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s leading scorer, tallying 93 points (32 goals, 61 assists) in 69 games. Later this month Hamill departs for Russia to compete in the Canada-Russia Series, which marks him as a strong candidate for Canada’s entry to the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championships.
“This is a big step for him, being able to sign an NHL contract as an 18-year-old,” Everett general manager Doug Soetaert said. “He’s very deserving.
“It’s nice to see him get that out of the way,” Soetaert added. “Now he can get it out of his mind and not worry about it.”
The signing came faster than normal. NHL teams own the rights to the players they draft for two years without having to sign them. Most players, including high draft picks, don’t sign for at least one year and often the full two as the parent team monitors the player’s development before making a commitment.
“I was definitely surprised,” Hamill said about the speed of the process. “After the draft a couple guys signed, but I didn’t think anything of it. But my agent started negotiating and a couple days later said the Bruins verbally agreed to a deal.
“I wasn’t thinking about getting signed, my next thought was of the Canada-Russia series,” Hamill added. “But it’s good to get it done.”
The quick signing could be an indication Hamill has a chance of making the Bruins this season. Heading into his 19-year-old season Hamill is ineligible to play minor professional hockey, meaning it’s either Boston or Everett.
And Boston has a history of youngsters sticking. Four years ago Patrice Bergeron made the game as an 18-year-old, and last season Phil Kessel, the Bruins’ 2006 first rounder, made the team out of training camp.
“It’s tough to say,” Hamill said about his chances. “But I don’t think this changes anything. I have the same mentality as I did after the draft. I’m going to go into training camp and do what I do best, work hard, and whatever happens happens.”
However, Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli has stated in the past he expects Hamill to return to juniors this season, and Soetaert fully expects Hamill to be wearing a Silvertip jersey once the regular season rolls around.
“Knowing Zach Hamill I’m sure he’ll do everything he can to make the team,” Soetaert said. “But I expect him back.”
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