Blades add size
Defenseman Philippe Paquet, who spent the past four seasons at Clarkson University, signed with the Florida Everblades Tuesday.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder was co-captain for the Golden Knights in his senior season at Clarkson. Hampered by injuries his last two years of college hockey, Paquet still managed to post his best numbers. In 26 games, he tallied one goal and 11 assists for 12 points.
Paquet’s physical style of play was evident averaging 83 penalty minutes over his four-year college career.
“Phil is a big, strong kid that plays very aggressively,” said Blades coach Malcolm Cameron. “He really uses his size to his advantage. I am looking forward to working with him. He is a great addition to our team.”
The 22-year-old rookie skated in a total of 127 games for Clarkson, tallying seven goals, 23 assists. He was drafted in the 7th round (229th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
Paquet will begin the season in the Atlanta Thrashers rookie camp beginning in early September. He then will attend the Lake Erie Monsters training camp of the American Hockey League.