Lightning sign forward J.T. Brown (2 years / $1.350m cap hit)
"The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward J.T. Brown to a two-year contract that runs through the 2012-13 season,"
"The 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward ranked first on Minnesota-Duluth in goals and third in points. Brown ranked tied for sixth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in points. The sophomore was also named to the All-WCHA First Team this season. "
Last edited by LightningStrikes: 03-29-2012 at 02:00 AM.
He is likely to spend the rest of this season with the Lightning in the NHL and he will be a strong candidate to stick with the team next season. He is lauded for his speed, grit, and shot, and was arguably the most sought after NCAA free agent remaining after University of Western Michigan junior defenseman Danny DeKeyser made the decision to stay in school.
Brown, 21, of Burnsville, Minn., agreed to a contract worth $832,500 if playing in the NHL and $70,000 in the minor leagues, plus a $92,500 signing bonus each year. He will make about $5,000 per day the rest of the NHL regular season, which will count as the first year of his contract, but isn’t eligible for the league playoffs. The Lightning have six regular-season games remaining the next 10 days.
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“It came down to having the right opportunity and the right fit with the right team,” Brown said from Chicago, where he had met with a handful of teams Wednesday.
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“He plays hard both ways, he’s aggressive, he has speed, moves the puck, has a scoring knack and is a clutch performer. He played his absolute best in the Frozen Four last year,” said Tampa Bay senior adviser to the general manager Tom Kurvers, a former UMD All-American defenseman, who watched the Bulldogs 14 times this season. “His competitiveness is so noticeable and he has a little evil streak, which he’s learned to control.
“He’s gotten better the last two years and his time in Duluth was well spent.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have signed J.T. He was the premier free agent in college hockey. (General manager) Steve Yzerman got a chance to watch him, and liked him, and we wanted to get J.T. on our team.”
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“J.T. is modest. He’s not the kind to brag. He’s not one to be in the spotlight,” Ted Brown, a juvenile probation officer for Ramsey County in St. Paul, told the News Tribune in 2010. “He’s heard so much about shortcomings, about not being big enough, and there were naysayers who wondered why an Afro-American would want to be playing hockey. But he didn’t bow to that, he worked harder and has improved. He’s shown he can pass the puck, he can play defense and he can score goals. He’s most happy when the team wins.”
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“He’s a shooter who is extremely fast on his skates,” Oleksuk said of Brown. “When he’s at his best, there aren’t a whole lot of players who can keep up.
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Last edited by TheDaysOf 04: 03-28-2012 at 09:26 PM.
I gotta say, I'm really happy with the way SFY is filling up the cupboards. He's getting a ******** of quality free agents with a good bit of upside and low risk.
His father, Ted, was a RB for the Vikings for 8 years and was a former first round pick....wonder why he chose hockey?
Probably from being in Minnesota.
American defenseman Seth Jones is projected to be a 2013 top draft pick. His father, Ronald "Popeye" Jones was an NBA player. Seth fell in love with hockey while his dad was playing for the Nuggets. His family was living in Denver around the time Joe Sakic and the Avs were awesome.
From what I've seen of him from the few games I've seen on TV, he reminds me of a forward version of Subban. Same attitude, swagger, etc.. to his game.
From what I've seen of him from the few games I've seen on TV, he reminds me of a forward version of Subban. Same attitude, swagger, etc.. to his game.
Hopefully less diving though.
I hope that the only thing he and Subban have in common is perhaps race. **** PK Subban
