Saturday’s 5–3 loss to No. 5 Quinnipiac may have ended the Yale men’s hockey team’s season, but for seniors Kenny Agostino ’14 and Jesse Root ’14, it also marked the beginning of their professional hockey careers.
Mere days after the Bulldogs wrapped up their campaign just shy of an NCAA tournament berth, Agostino signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Flames of the NHL, while captain Root inked a deal with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.
Agostino was originally taken by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, but was dealt to Calgary in a trade that was headlined by superstar Jarome Iginla. The forward tied for the team lead with 14 goals and was second on the Bulldogs with 32 points. He leaves Yale ranking in the top ten in career points and assists in school history.
Root, meanwhile, will make his debut on Wednesday in Hartford, Conn., after a stellar senior season during which he led the Elis with 37 points. The Pittsburgh, Penn. native helped Yale win the national championship at the 2013 Frozen Four in his hometown.
Fellow senior Gus Young ’14, a seventh-round pick of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche in 2009, is likely to sign a professional contract in the coming weeks.
The three seniors enjoyed an illustrious career at Yale. In their four years in New Haven, the three won 83 games, an ECAC tournament, and a national title.