The Minnesota Wild have signed Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Mario Lucia to an entry level contract the club has announced.
The deal will kick in at the start of the 2016-17 season, with Lucia, who stands 6’3″ and 206lbs, set to report to the AHL Iowa Wild on an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) for the remainder of this season.
Drafted in the second round (60th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Wild, Lucia had 12 goals and 24 points in 37 games for the Fighting Irish this season, as the college secured third place in the Hockey East conference behind Providence and Boston College.
Notre Dame were eliminated by Michigan at the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional semifinal stage in Cincinnati on Friday, after Tyler Motte scored for the Wolverines just over eight minutes in to the overtime period. Lucia registered two shots on goal during the game.
In 151 career NCAA games, the Plymouth, Minnesota native registered 61 goals and 109 points and was a NCAA (CCHA) Champion with the program in 2012-13. He made the NCAA (CCHA) All-Rookie Team and was named Notre Dame’s Rookie of the Year during the same season, and won gold at the World Junior Championships with Team USA in Russia.
Prior to embarking on his collegiate career, Lucia helped the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) set a North American junior hockey record 42-game winning streak and helped the Vees win the 2012 RBC Cup and Doyle Cup, scoring 52 goals and 93 points in 56 games for the junior club.
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