The Red Wings are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1990, but there’s at least some optimism in Detroit regarding the future of the franchise. Today, the organization announced that they have signed defenseman Dennis Cholowski to a three-year entry-level contract.
Cholowski, the 20th pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, played 36 games for St. Cloud State University this past season. The freshman finished the campaign with one goal, 11 assists, and 14 penalty minutes. As the press release notes, the 19-year-old collected the fourth-most points among NCAA defenseman born in 1998.
Cholowski previously played with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he earned a Second-Team BCHL All-Star birth following a 12-goal, 28-assist 2015-16 campaign. The defender also won gold as a member of Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge, where he tallied a pair of assists.