A rookie defenceman to the Kelowna Rockets franchise signed off on a three-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators after selecting him in the first round of the 2019 WHL draft.
News Release: #Sens sign 2019 first round selection defenceman Lassi Thomson to entry-level contract: https://t.co/msmxq0NB1v
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) July 15, 2019
Communiqué : Les #Sens accordent un contrat d’entrée au défenseur Lassi Thomson, choix de première en 2019 : https://t.co/bcclpSTM1H pic.twitter.com/HHVe9R7qG6
Lassi Thomson, who joined the Rockets last season as the 53rd overall pick in the 2018 CHL import draft, is set to head to the nation's capital when he begins his NHL career, the Senators announced on Monday.
The 18-year-old Finnish defenceman was picked 19th overall in the 2019 NHL draft in Vancouver last month and joined the rest of the 2019 draft class on the ice during the team's development camp which concluded on June 30.
“I’m so excited.”
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) June 22, 2019
Newly-drafted defenceman Lassi Thomson speaks to media in Vancouver. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/rEdi5rqZFh
"Lassi has great offensive instincts and an NHL-calibre shot," said general manager Pierre Dorion.
"He also brings a high compete level - he's always moving his feet and driving the pace of play. We came away from development camp in Ottawa very impressed and feel that he is going to be an important piece of our team's future."
First Look: Lassi Thomson. #SensDevCamp pic.twitter.com/qlmnV99WDr
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) June 26, 2019
Thomson was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Year this past regular season with the Rockets, collecting 41 points in his 63 games played and landing him fifth overall on the league's rookie scoring list for both forwards and defencemen.
He was also a gold medal champion in the 2018 IIHF World U18 Championship in April.
Welcome to Ottawa, Lassi Thomson! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/jweefVince
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) June 22, 2019
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