Ryan Suzuki has signed a three-year, two-way entry level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
But don’t just take our word for it. Hear it from the man himself:
Happy to have you in the #Canes family, @RSuzuki61! pic.twitter.com/dAYbAkeQgc
— Carolina Hurricanes (@CanesNHL) September 18, 2019
Suzuki, 18, was the Canes first-round selection (28th overall) in this summer’s NHL entry draft. His contract will pay him $832,500/year at the NHL level and $70,000/year at the AHL level. As part of the deal, Suzuki receives a $277,500 signing bonus.
The London, Ontario native has represented Canada at the 2019 Under-19 World Championship, where his team won gold. He has recorded 119 points in 129 career games with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). During the 2017-2018 season, he was teammates with Andrei Svechnikov.
For the upcoming season, Suzuki is eligible for either the NHL or OHL. His entry-level contract slides back a year if he plays fewer than nine NHL games.
Following is the team press release.
RALEIGH, NC - Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Ryan Suzuki to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will pay Suzuki $832,500 at the NHL level or $70,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level for all three seasons. He will receive a signing bonus of $277,500.
”Ryan is a skilled center with strong playmaking ability,” said Waddell. ”He’s an exciting young player, and we believe he has a bright future in the NHL.”
Suzuki, 18, posted 75 points (25g, 50a) in 65 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games with the Barrie Colts last season. He has tallied 119 points (39g, 80a) in 129 career OHL games, and served as an alternate captain in 2018-19. During the 2017-18 season, Suzuki was teammates with Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov after being selected first overall by Barrie in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. The 6’1”, 183-pound forward played in the 2019 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, serving as an alternate captain on Team Orr. Suzuki represented Canada at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning gold, and also at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. The London, Ont., native was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft.