Abbotsford’s Michael Milne has signed a three-year entry level deal with the Minnesota Wild.
The National Hockey League team announced the inking of the former Abbotsford Minor Hockey Association, Yale Hockey Academy and Fraser Valley Thunderbird to a contract on Wednesday (Oct. 19).
Milne was drafted in the third round, 89th overall by the Wild in 2022 NHL draft. He will now report to the Iowa Wild - Minnesota’s American Hockey League affiliate. Iowa does not make a trip to Abbotsford to play the Canucks this season, but they do play in Winnipeg, San Diego and Coachella Valley.
He’s eligible to play in the AHL despite being drafted recently because he was an overage draft pick who turned 20 in September. Familiar faces on the Iowa Wild include former Abbotsford Canucks forward Nic Petan and former Vancouver Giants star Ty Ronning.
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Milne had an excellent 2021-22 season with the Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice and collected 81 points in 68 games. He added 19 points in 15 playoff games. Over four seasons in the WHL with the Ice he collected 133 points in 175 games. Milne was draft eligible in 2021, but was not selected.
Milne played minor hockey in Abbotsford before moving on to the Yale Hockey Academy for his U15 year. He went on to play for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and was chosen by the then-Kootenay Ice in the eighth round, 155th overall in the 2017 bantam draft.
For more on the Wild, visit iowawild.com.