Former UMass defenseman William Lagesson is officially a professional.
Lagesson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. The Oilers selected Lagesson in the fourth round of the 2014 draft (91st overall).
Lagesson played two seasons for the Minutemen and was primarily a defensive-minded blue-liner. He had four goals and 11 assists in 63 games.
“Although we will miss the leadership that Willy provided to our hockey program this past year, my staff and I are excited for him to move on and prove himself at the professional level,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said in a statement released Friday. “During his two years at UMass, he was a fierce competitor on the ice and a player that showed his true commitment off the ice. It was a pleasure for me to coach him this past season and he will be missed. Willy is a great kid and I wish him the best.”
The 21-year-old native of Gothenburg, Sweden, represented his country in several international tournaments, including the World Junior Championships in 2014 and 2016.
Lagesson was among the UMass leaders in ice time. His spot will likely be filled by a freshman as 12 players will join the program for the 2017-18 season.
Lagesson will likely make his pro debut in Bakersfield, California, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.
BARR RETURNS — UMass assistant coach Ben Barr was considered one of the leading candidates to fill the vacant head coaching position at RPI, his alma mater, but Canisius coach Dave Smith was hired Wednesday.
While Carvel was rooting for his assistant’s career success, he was glad to keep his staff intact for another season.
“We were all very much pulling for him,” Carvel said Wednesday. “But he’s a tremendous recruiter. That’s what we need right now, a guy like him with experience helping us get good hockey players. When I hired him I knew it probably wasn’t going to be a long term hire, but I was sure wishing for more than one year. He’ll get his chance. He’s still pretty young at 35.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage