It didn’t take long. The day after the University of Michigan was eliminated from the NCAA Frozen Four, Owen Power signed a three-year NHL entry contract with the Buffalo Sabers.
Posted at 9:18 p.m.
The 19-year-old defender was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.
In his second season with Michigan, he had 3 goals and 32 points in 33 games.
He won gold at the IIHF World Championships in late spring 2021. Power started the Junior Worlds well last winter with a hat trick against the Czech Republic, before the tournament was canceled in due to COVID-19.
He’s not the only one to choose to turn pro after Maize and Blue’s overtime loss to Denver on Thursday. Forward Kent Johnson and defenseman Nick Blankenburg did the same with the Blue Jackets.
Johnson has scored 8 goals and recorded 37 points in 32 games this season. Blankenburg has threaded the needle 14 times, scoring 29 points in 38 games.