DU's Stastny signs with Avs
The University of Denver's painful loss is the Avalanche's potential gain.
The Pioneers on Monday said goodbye to All-America center Paul Stastny, who will forgo his final two years of eligibility after signing a three-year contract with the Avs. Colorado selected Stastny, the son of former Quebec Nordiques star and Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, in the second round of the 2005 NHL draft.
Stastny was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association rookie of the year in 2004-05 and the WCHA scoring champion last season. He had 98 points, including 36 goals, in 81 career games at DU.
"After talking to my dad, my adviser (sports agent Matt Keator) and my brother (Yan) we decided in my two years at Denver I got so much better. I kept accelerating, and I'm at an age where I need to keep getting better. It was time to take the next step," said Stastny, who as a freshman in 2005 helped DU win its second consecutive NCAA title with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 national championship game victory over North Dakota.
"I had such a good time at DU," Stastny said. "So nice to be a part of such a rich program. I'm really going to miss the guys."
Stastny, 20, is the third player to leave DU for the NHL in less than a year. Defenseman Brett Skinner signed with Vancouver in August and defenseman Matt Carle, who tied Stastny with a team-leading 53 points last season, joined San Jose for the Stanley Cup playoffs in March.
"When your program develops into a national contender you face the challenges of players leaving early, and teams owning their draft rights pulling them out early," Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said. "I'm happy for Paul, and proud of him like I was for Brett and Matt. But I've got mixed feelings.
"Paul was going to be in a great situation here. He would have been one of the top returning players in the country and a leader on our team, which is going to be outstanding with another talented freshman class. There was a lot still for Paul to accomplish in college hockey."
Stastny was a preseason candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, which Carle won in April to become DU's first national player of the year. Stastny, a burly 6-foot, 210-pound center, played in all situations for the Pioneers, and will be particularly missed on the power play, on which he scored 17 goals.
"Paul brings a great deal of speed, skill and potential to the organization," Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere said in a release. "Obviously his college accomplishments speak for themselves and we look forward to watching him continue to develop."
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