It was time for Josh Lopina to spread his wings.
The UMass hockey sophomore forward signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Anaheim Ducks that begins with the 2022-23 season, the team announced Sunday.
Lopina was a fourth-round draft pick last summer after coming to UMass undrafted. He’s the second Minuteman to sign early this offseason after junior defenseman Matthew Kessel inked his deal with the St. Louis Blues.
Overall, 11 UMass players have signed NHL contracts since Greg Carvel took over the program in 2016. Seven were undrafted when they arrived in Amherst.
“We knew that Josh was going to be a solid, high-character player with good hockey sense who just needed time to develop. In two years he became a dominant center who was effective in every situation,” Carvel said in a release. “He’s a big strong kid who dominated on face offs, scored around the net and played a physically demanding style of hockey. He came to the rink every day with a smile and an amazing attitude and he will be missed as both a great player and a phenomenal person who made our program and our culture better. We wish him all the best as he starts his professional career with the Anaheim Ducks and thank him for everything he has done for UMass hockey.”
Lopina became the first Minuteman to be named Hockey East Rookie of the Year when he shared the award with Boston College’s Nikita Nesterenko. He put up 50 points in 55 games (21 goals) and was UMass’ go-to face off taker.
In his time in Amherst, Lopina was part of teams that won back to back Hockey East tournament championships and the national title last season.
The Minooka, Ill., native will report to Anaheim’s AHL affiliate the San Diego Gulls on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the season.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.