North Dakota junior forward Bryan Lundbohm has signed a free agent contract with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League.
Lundbohm finished his career with 56 goals and 124 points in 122 games over three seasons for the Fighting Sioux. He helped the Sioux to the 2000 NCAA Championship and a runner up finish in 2001. His best year came this past season when he ranked second in Division I in goals (32), points (69) and game-winning goals (8). He also ranked fifth in the nation in assists (37) and power-play goals (11).
A native of Roseau, Minn., the 23-year old Lundbohm was a First Team All-WCHA selection in 2000-01 and was a West Second Team All-American. He was also selected to the WCHA All-Academic Team each of the last two years.
Lundbohm, whose brother David was a freshman at North Dakota this season, joins sophomore defenseman Travis Roche as Sioux underclassmen to leave early for the pros this year. Roche signed with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild immediately following North Dakota’s 3-2 NCAA Championship Game loss to Boston College and played for the Wild the following day. Lundbohm is expected to report to the Predators’ rookie camp July 5-13.
Terms of Lundbohm’s deal were not disclosed.
The early departures, and graduation of Hobey Baker finalist Jeff Panzer, leave sophomore forward Ryan Bayda (25-34–59) as the only returning Sioux player to have ranked among the team’s top five leading scorers. Bayda, a third-round selection of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes in 2000, told the Grand Forks Herald that he plans on returning to North Dakota next season.
