Calgary Flames sign 2016 first round pick Matthew Tkachuk
Posted Jul 7, 2016 1:08 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
With on-ice sessions over in this year’s edition of Calgary Flames Development Camp, management turned their attention to a new contract.
The club announced Thursday that it signed 2016 first round draft pick Matthew Tkachuk to a three-year, entry-level deal.
“It’s something I’ve been looking forward to my whole life,” the 18-year-old said. “To sign your first NHL contract is unbelievable and it’s so crazy that it’s happening so fast.”
Tkachuk, the sixth overall pick in June’s draft, recently finished a Memorial Cup-winning season with the London Knights where he scored the overtime winner in the championship final.
“It makes you want to work that much harder,” he explained of signing the contract. “It’s no guarantee unless you make the NHL and for guys that play in the NHL, they aren’t worried about contracts or anything. They do it for the love of the game. I’m the same way.”
The left winger also captured a bronze medal for the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. There, he co-led the Americans with 11 points in seven games.
