At long last, all the hard work put in by goalie Michael Houser of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights seems finally to have paid dividends.
The Wexford, Pa., native, passed over by NHL teams during the past three drafts, on Monday reportedly signed an entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers. Terms of the deal have yet to be released.
Houser won the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player in the OHL in 2011-12. He also was the first American-born player and first player from London to be named the Canadian Hockey League's top goaltender. He posted a 2.47 goals-against average, had six shutouts and a .925 save percentage while playing in 62 of London's 68 games.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=637503]www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=637503[/url]
He was a top OHL goalie, so this is big news. Also, there were rumors that Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo could be headed to the Panthers, but since they now have Michael Houser, that will not be happening.
The Wexford, Pa., native, passed over by NHL teams during the past three drafts, on Monday reportedly signed an entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers. Terms of the deal have yet to be released.
Houser won the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player in the OHL in 2011-12. He also was the first American-born player and first player from London to be named the Canadian Hockey League's top goaltender. He posted a 2.47 goals-against average, had six shutouts and a .925 save percentage while playing in 62 of London's 68 games.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=637503]www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=637503[/url]
He was a top OHL goalie, so this is big news. Also, there were rumors that Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo could be headed to the Panthers, but since they now have Michael Houser, that will not be happening.