By Tim Schmitt
LEWISTON — National Hockey League scouts had been snubbing Lewiston on trips from Buffalo to Toronto.
But the Witmer Road exit appears to be getting a workout these days, as pro contracts are coming fast and furious for the Niagara men’s hockey team. The Purple Eagles announced Tuesday that senior Matt Caruana has signed a one-year contract with the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, marking the program’s third pro contract in six weeks. The team had just three players sign NHL deals in the previous 12 years.
Caruana finished his senior season with 39 points in 37 games and was among the nation’s top 40 scorers.
“What Matt’s done for our program is remarkable,” NU coach Dave Burkholder said. “What I’ll remember most about him is his demeanor and the professional approach he took to everything.”
Caruana left Tuesday night for the Ducks’ American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine, and said he expects to be in the lineup Friday when the Pirates play at Worcester. The team demanded he get two practices under his belt, so Caruana had to pack up and ship out Tuesday night.
Caruana’s former teammate, Kyle Rogers, signed an NHL deal with Toronto on Saturday, and Les Reaney left Niagara in February to sign a deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
But Caruana said the program’s most important signing was that of Sean Bentivoglio, last season’s College Hockey America player of the year. Bentivoglio used a tryout with the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins following his senior season as a springboard to a two-way contract with the New York Islanders. It was Niagara’s first NHL contract since Matt Ryan signed in 2003.
“Benti put us back on the map,” Caruana said. “We might have been off it for a bit. But this just shows Niagara is a program on the rise.”
Caruana primarily played on the second line as a junior, although he was a part of the team’s first power-play unit. As a senior, though, he had to step into the role left behind by Bentivoglio, a senior leader on the team’s top line. He did admirably, finishing second in scoring to junior Vince Rocco.
“He’s a playmaker. He has really good vision,” Burkholder said. “He’s the prototypical centerman — he’s also good on face-offs, he’s got a touch around the net, and he’s got above average speed. And I think he has room to put more weight on his frame.”
Burkholder repeatedly reminded his seniors they were the only four-year class that had yet to reach the NCAA Tournament, a tidbit Caruana took to heart.
“You try not to think about it, but we just didn’t want to be that class,” Caruana said. The only other senior to see significant playing time was defenseman Scott Langdon. “But the way this all turned out was great. I just wanted this to be my best year.”
Burkholder insisted it was, and said he could see the relief in Caruana when the Purple Eagles won the CHA Tournament at home, securing a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“Talk about pressure. He carried it all year. He knew everyone wanted to see how we’d do without Bentivoglio,” Burkholder said. “Looking into his eyes when that was over was one of the special moments in my career.”
