United States' Matthew Knies (89) celebrates his goal against Slovakia during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Red Deer, Alberta on Sunday, December 26, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Matthew Knies to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The contract begins in the current 2022-2023 season with an average annual value of US$925,000, the Leafs said Sunday in a statement.
Knies (pronounced NIGHS) was coming off a season of 21 goals and 21 assists in 40 games with the University of Minnesota.
Toronto drafted the 20-year-old from Phoenix, Ariz., in the second round (57th overall) in 2021.
Knies totalled 36 goals and 39 assists in 73 career NCAA games.
He had three assists in five games for the United States in the 2022 world junior men’s hockey championship. Knies also had a goal and an assist in four games at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.
“In two seasons playing for Coach (Bob) Motzko and his program at the University of Minnesota, Matthew has participated in two Big Ten championship games, two NCAA Frozen Four Championships, one world junior championship tournament and one Winter Olympic Games,” Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said in the statement.
“The impact of that experience in addition to the massive steps the program at University of Minnesota has helped him take on and off the ice are something that we are forever grateful for.
“We look forward to welcoming Matthew to our club this week and helping him continue down the great development path he has been on with the Gophers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2023.
