July
2, 2003;
Updated July 7, 2003
LeNeveu
Leaves Cornell for NHL
Cornell
goaltender David LeNeveu has agreed to a multiyear contract with
the Phoenix Coyotes, forgoing his final two years of collegiate
eligibility.
“We
are very proud of David and all that he has accomplished at Cornell,”
Cornell head coach Mike Schafer said in a statement. “It’s
bittersweet for us. Losing David to Phoenix is obviously a big
loss for our program, but the entire team is excited that David
is getting a chance to live out his dream – a dream they
all have. We believe he will work hard and be extremely successful
with Phoenix and wish him all the best as he takes this step in
his career.”
“David
is one of the top young goaltending prospects in the world,”
said Coyotes general manager Mike Barnett. “He has enjoyed
an outstanding two years in a top program like Cornell and we
are confident that he has the skills to develop into an NHL goaltender.”
| On
the dotted line ... |
| LeNeveu
joins fellow ECAC co-Player of the Year Chris Higgins and
three other underclassmen who have made the leap to pro hockey
this offseason. Check out the complete list of pro
signees, then take a look at the Flight
Risks we're keeping an eye on. |
LeNeveu, a
Hobey Baker Award finalist and Inside College Hockey's pick as
the national goaltender of the year in 2002-03, was selected in
the second round, 46th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. The
Fernie, B.C., native led the nation’s goaltenders for the
entire 2002-03 season and posted the best goals against average
in college hockey history with a mark of 1.20. He also had the
seventh-best save percentages at .940. For the season, he posted
a mark of 28-3-1, including a school- and ECAC-record nine shutouts.
LeNeveu led
Cornell to its first NCAA Frozen Four appearance in 23 years and
its second straight ECAC title. He was also a member of the Canadian
Junior National team, which won a silver medal at the world championships
in January 2003. He was the only NCAA player on the Canadian squad.
The Big Red
returns two goaltenders for the 2003-04 season in senior Todd
Marr and sophomore Louis Chabot, a duo that combined to make five
appearances all of last season.
“One
door closes for the program with David moving on, but another
has quickly opened for our two returning goalies,” Schafer
said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for these two
young men to step up and continue the tradition of goaltending
excellence at Cornell.”
Days after
LeNeveu's announcement, Cornell added a third goalie in Dave McKee
of the North American Hockey League's Texas Tornado.
LeNeveu joins
an organization which could present the opportunity for playing
time at the NHL level, depending on the future of Sean Burke.
The Coyotes' starter for the last four seasons, Burke is widely
rumored to be on the trading block.
