Prince George Cougars forward Colin Jacobs tweeted Thursday that he had signed his first professional contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
Sabres general manager Darcy Regier confirmed the news Friday in a press release that the Sabres had signed Jacobs to a standard three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old was a fourth round (107th overall) selection by the Sabres in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Jacobs led the Cougars with a career-high 25 goals and 53 points in 66 games last season before joining the Rochester Americans, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Sabres, where he notched a goal and two assists in 11 AHL games.
The Cougars acquired the Coppell, Texas native in an August 2012 trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for defenceman Jesse Forsberg. In 252 career WHL games Jacobs had 142 points (69 goals) and 332 penalty minutes.
With Jacobs joining the pro ranks, the Cougars are left with three overage players - forwards Caleb Belter and Klarc Wilson and goaltender Mac Engel.
Ex-P.G. junior players face off
In the AHL eastern conference best-of-seven championship series, former Prince George Spruce Kings goalie Brad Thiessen has kept his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in each game with the defending Calder Cup champion Syracuse Crunch and former Cougars forward Brett Connolly.
The Crunch held a 2-1 series advantage heading into Game 4 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Friday. Game 5 is tonight in Syracuse.
Thiessen backstopped the Penguins to a a series opening 4-2 win in Syracuse with 24 saves and has stopped 78 of 84 shots he's faced in the first three games of the series. He has also stymied Connolly, blocking all six shots the Prince George native has taken. Connolly has one assist in the series.
