Burnaby Winter Club product Mathew Barzal, the first overall pick in the 2012 Western Hockey League bantam draft, signed a Standard Player Agreement with the Seattle Thunderbirds today.
The announcement of Barzal's signing was made by WHL commissioner Ron Robison at the WHL Awards Luncheon on May 1 at the Deerfoot Inn in Calgary, Alberta.
"We are extremely excited to have Mathew signed and committed to play with our team," said T-Birds general manager Russ Farwell from the Awards Luncheon in Calgary. "Mathew has proven to be the most elite player in his age group in Western Canada and he has both the personal drive to be a pro and the ability to make everyone he plays with better. Having Mathew on our team will be exciting for our fans, team and everyone involved with our organization."
"I am really excited to join the T-Birds," said Barzal from the Awards Luncheon in Calgary. "I am looking forward to the season next year. I was down in Seattle this past season to practice with the team and I was able to attend a playoff game. I had a chance to meet a lot of the guys on the team when I was in Seattle. They made me feel welcome and they were all great guys. I am looking forward to playing with them next season and I hope to contribute to a winning season."
Last season Barzal played for the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs in the British Columbia Minor Midget Hockey League. In 34 games, he garnered 103 points on 29 goals and a single-season league record 74 assists.
Barzal represented British Columbia at the Western Canada under-16 Challenge Cup in November. He had two goals and two assists in four games at the tournament and was selected as an all-star.
Barzal was the first overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He played for the Burnaby Winter Club Bantam 1A team in 2011-12, registering 107 points on 39 goals and 68 assists in 35 games before he was selected by the T-Birds.
T-Birds Training Camp for the 2013-14 WHL season starts on Aug. 22 at ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.
Thunderbirds 2013-14 season tickets are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
