Canes Sign Sergey Tolchinsky to Entry Level Deal

The Carolina Hurricanes added more depth today as they signed Sergey Tolchinsky to a three-year entry-level contract. Tolchinsky was an undrafted invitee to the team's development camp and impressed the coaching staff with his hustle, skill, and overall attitude.

He is another player short in stature, he is listed at 5'8, (and seems smaller), but he did well against the bigger players at camp and scored 51 points in 62 games in the OHL last season.

It's expected the winger will now represent the Hurricanes at the upcoming Traverse City Tournament, (he previously had committed to play for the Rangers.) We will have more news about that as we get it.

After the tournament, Tolchinsky could be invited to the Hurricanes training camp, or he might return to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, his junior team.

Here is the team's release with more information.

‘CANES AGREE TO TERMS WITH SERGEY TOLCHINSKY

Forward had 51 points in 62 games with OHL’s Greyhounds in 2012-13

RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent forward Sergey Tolchinsky (SIHR-gay TOLL-chin-skee) on a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will pay Tolchinsky $550,000 at the NHL level or $55,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level in the first year, $550,000 in the NHL or $67,500 in the AHL in the second year, and $575,000 in the NHL or $67,500 in the AHL in the third year. He will also receive a signing bonus of $150,000.

Tolchinsky, 18, played the 2012-13 season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), notching 26 goals and 25 assists (51 points), and posting a plus-8 plus/minus rating in 62 regular-season games. He finished the season ranked second in goals and tied for third in points among OHL rookies. The Moscow, Russia, native also scored two goals and earned two assists (4 points) in the Greyhounds’ six playoff games. This summer he attended the New York Rangers’ and the Carolina Hurricanes’ prospects development camps as a camp invitee.

Prior to coming to North America, Tolchinsky (5’8", 165 lbs.) played the 2011-12 season with CSKA Moscow of the Russian Junior League (MHL), scoring 19 goals, earning 15 assists (34 points) and posting a plus-17 rating in 51 games. He added four points (2g, 2a) in 15 games during CSKA Moscow’s run to the 2012 Kharlamov Cup final, where his team fell to Omsk in five games. Tolchinsky has represented Russia in several international competitions, including the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Under-18 World Championship. At the 2012 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, he notched a hat trick in the gold-medal game as Russia defeated the United States, 7-4. The Greyhounds selected Tolchinsky in the first round, 12^th overall, in the 2012 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft.

The Carolina Hurricanes open their 2013-14 season on Oct. 4 at PNC Arena against the Detroit Red Wings. Individual game tickets for all Carolina Hurricanes exhibition and regular-season games will go on sale to the general public on Sept. 6. For information on 2013-14 Hurricanes ticket packages, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES.