The Buffalo Sabres announced they have signed St. Cloud State and U.S. Olympian Will Borgen to a three-year, entry level contract that will start in the 2018-19 season. He is expected to sign an Amateur Tryout (ATO) with the Rochester Americans of the AHL and play there for the rest of the season.
Borgen played three years with St. Cloud State, but after a season in which he also took a break to play for the U.S. Olympic team (although he didn’t play)and was just one of four college players on the roster, the 21-year-old decided it was time to move on. The Sabres’ fourth-round pick in 2015, Borgen accumulated five goals and 36 assists over his three years there. Known for his defensive skills, he was named National College Hockey Conference’s Defensive Defenseman of the Year this season.
Borgen, at 6-foot-2, 188 pounds, was able to sign a little earlier than many had expected after his top-seeded Huskies lost in the first round in an upset to Air Force Friday. General manager Jason Botterill was at that game and was quick to move in and sign the young prospect.