Columbus Blue Jackets draftee Sonny Milano will not be headed to Chestnut Hill after all.
Milano, who had committed to play hockey at Boston College, instead will sign with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League, the team announced Thursday.
“We are very pleased to have a player of this caliber joining our organization,” Whalers general manager Mark Craig said in a team statement. “My understanding is he lives for hockey and will bring a work ethic to our team that will force our players to a new level.”
Milano, an 18-year-old forward from Massapequa, N.Y., played the last two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program, racking up a total of 49 goals and 84 assists in 114 games. A first-round pick of the Blue Jackets (16th overall) in the 2014 NHL draft, he was expected to join fellow USNTDP product Alex Tuch as part of an exciting freshman class at BC.
Instead, Milano will be taking his talents north of the border, where he’ll face tougher competition that theoretically will provide a shorter road to the NHL. If he does indeed sign with Plymouth, he will be ineligible to play college hockey under NCAA rules.
“We’re very happy to have Sonny in Plymouth,” Whalers head coach Don Elland said. “He has the potential and ability to become a great player for us. Sonny’s an exciting talent that will make our program stronger.”
Photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
