DENVER (May 15) - University of Denver hockey player Mark Rycroft today, May 15, signed a contract with National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues, thereby forgoing his final year of college eligibility. The six-foot, 197-pound forward from Penticton, British Columbia, will attend the Blues' training camp in September. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We're pleased for Mark and proud that another one of our players has developed his game to the point where he can embark on a professional career," said Pioneer head coach George Gwozdecky. "With the kind of opportunity Mark has been given it's very difficult to turn down. At the same time, with our team returning and young players coming in we expect a very exciting and rewarding 2000-2001 season."
Rycroft played in all 41 games during the 1999-2000 campaign, scoring 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points and adding 87 penalty minutes. He ranked tied for fifth in the nation with six game-winning goals and became the 79th member of the Pioneers' century club by scoring his 100th career point vs. Michigan Tech on March 3.
The team captain last season and an assistant captain as a sophomore, Rycroft posted career totals of 51 goals and 52 assists for 103 points in 117 career games in a Denver uniform. He also notched 15 game-winning goals and 20 power-play tallies during his Pioneer career and was named to the 1998 all-WCHA rookie team after scoring 15 goals and 17 assists as a freshman.
