NAHL, Amarillo alum Gustafsson signs NHL deal with Capitals
March 8, 2017
By Denis Puska, Amarillo Bulls
The Amarillo Bulls of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are pleased to announce that former forward and current Merrimack College senior center Hampus Gustafsson has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.
Gustafsson, who is 6-foot-4 and hails from Ljungby, Sweden, finished his senior season with 26 points in 36 games, including 15 goals and 11 assists. Over his four-year career at Merrimack, Gustafsson scored 38 goals and added 49 assists for 87 points in 146 games.
Gustafsson played for the Bulls during the 2012-13, where he helped led the team to the Robertson Cup National Championship. During that season, Gustafsson committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Merrimack, while recording 27 points in 35 regular season games and 7 points in 11 playoff games.
Gustafsson becomes the sixth Merrimack player to sign as an NHL undrafted free agent under head coach Mark Dennehy, following in the footsteps of Rasmus Tirronen (CAR, 2015), Karl Stollery (COL, 2013), Stephane Da Costa (OTT, 2011), Joe Loprieno (SJS, 2009) and Matt Jones (SJS. 2008). Dennehy has also seen four players drafted, including current Warriors Brett Seney (NJD, 2015) and Chris LeBlanc (OTT, 2013). Kyle Bigos (EDM, 2009) and Joe Cannata (VAN, 2009) have also been drafted in the Dennehy era.
Cannata (Colorado) and Stollery (New Jersey) are both currently under NHL contracts. Da Costa has his NHL rights owned by the Senators while playing for CSKA Moscow in the KHL, and will be an unrestricted NHL free agent for the first time this coming summer.
Gustafsson will sign an ATO with Washington’s AHL affiliate in Hershey for the remainder of this season, but would not be under an NHL contract until this summer.