Hurricanes Sign College Star McBain

As college hockey season draws to a close, the early-signing period has begun. More and more in recent years, NHL teams raid college programs for talent. They sign their own draft picks and get them into the minor-league system, and they also find undrafted free agents who have performed well in college.

For programs like Wisconsin, the 2006 national champion, early departures are inevitable. They recruit top-notch talent, high draft picks that are simply not likely to stay in college for the full four years. The latest of these is junior defenseman Jamie McBain.

McBain, last week named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year, has moved on to the Carolina Hurricanes organization. The offensive-minded blue-liner was a second-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2006.

We profiled McBain last week, and there's no question he was one of the most improved players in the WCHA this season. He wasn't able to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament, but there's no doubt he had a great season. McBain was the only defenseman in the league to lead his team in scoring, and McBain posted 28 points in 28 WCHA games, a huge number for a defenseman.

The Hurricanes will send McBain to the AHL's Albany River Rats.

"Jamie had an outstanding season at Wisconsin, serving as an alternate captain and leading the team in scoring," said Jason Karmanos, vice president and assistant general manager. "The time is right for him to ake the next step in his development and begin his professional career."

Jamie McBain is the kind of kid you want to be excited for. He's a legitimate candidate to win the Hobey Baker Award, and he was a great representative of the Wisconsin program and college hockey during his time in Madison.

(Tap of the stick: Western College Hockey)