San Jose Sharks sign Union’s Nick DeSimone
SAN JOSE, CA — The Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Nick DeSimone to a two-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. DeSimone also signed an AHL ATO for the remainder of the 2016-17 season and will report to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League.
“Nick is a smooth, puck-moving defenseman with good size who uses his speed in both ends of the ice,” said Wilson. “His two-way play has taken a step forward in each of his three collegiate seasons, and we thank Union Head Coach Rick Bennett for helping develop a solid player both on and off the ice. We look forward to adding him to our group of defensemen.”
DeSimone, 22, recently completed his junior season with Union College, helping the Dutchmen reach the first round of the NCAA Hockey Championship tournament. The third-year player recorded career-highs in games played (38), goals (9), points (19) and plus/minus (+13), ranking T-1st amongst Union defenders in goals, and 2nd in points and plus/minus. His nine goals were tied for the second-most amongst ECAC defensemen, while his +13 ranked T-7th.
As a sophomore in 2015-16, DeSimone was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team, and ranked T-1st on the team in power-play points (9), and ranked 2nd with a career-high 14 assists. He finished the season ranked 7th amongst ECAC blueliners in points, and was one of just five Dutchmen to appear in all 36 games.
DeSimone recorded the third-most overall points (11) amongst ECAC rookie defensemen in 2014-15. In three collegiate seasons with Union, DeSimone produced 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) and plus-7 rating in 109 games.
Prior to his college career, the six-foot-two, 190-pound native of East Amherst, New York, played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), and was named an OJHL All-Star and the runner up for the OJHL Best Defenseman Award in his rookie season (2013-14).
Credit: San Jose Sharks PR.