Monday, October 19, 2009

Ellis is signed

Press Release

Nashville, Tenn. (October 19, 2009) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed defenseman Ryan Ellis, the club’s first choice (11th overall) in the 2009 Entry Draft, to a three-year entry-level contract.

Ellis, 18 (1/3/91), helped Windsor (OHL) win the 2009 Memorial Cup and Ontario Hockey League title a season ago, being named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team in process. The Hamilton, Ont., native led all OHL defensemen in points (89), goals (22) and assists (67) in 2008-09 en route to winning the 2009 Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s most outstanding defenseman. In 2009-10, Ellis has appeared in seven games for the Spitfires, recording 10 assists and a plus-7 rating.

The 5-9, 172-pound blueliner also won a gold medal with Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships, posting seven points (1g-6a) in six tournament games. He was the youngest defenseman to play for Canada at the WJC since Jay Boumeester in 2001, and was one of just three draft-eligible players on the 2009 team.

Ellis attended Predators Training Camp in September, and appeared in Nashville’s first preseason game on Sept. 17 vs. Atlanta.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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