CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Dallas Stars, announced Wednesday that former Lake Superior State University forward Anthony Nellis has been signed to an AHL contract for the 2019-20 season.
Nellis, 24, turned pro at the end of the 2018-19 season, joining the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. He recorded eight points (5-3--8) in his first 10 games and was second on the roster in scoring across that stretch. Before turning pro, the 5-foot-11 center spent four years at Lake Superior State. During his senior season, Nellis was tied for second on the team with 33 points (15-18--33) and 18 assists and earned a nomination for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award. The forward turned in 91 points (40-51--91) in 148 NCAA games and was among the team's top-four scorers in each of his four seasons with the Lakers.
Nellis joins former Laker Diego Cuglietta on the Texas Stars. Cuglietta, who signed with Texas following the 2018-19 season and is under contract for the upcoming season, tallied 50 goals and 50 assists for 100 career points in 147 games at Lake Superior State. In 2018-19, Cuglietta led NCAA Division I Men's Hockey in goals scored (25).
In 2018-19, the Lakers (23-13-2, 16-10-2-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) won their most games in a season since 1995-96, recorded their longest winning streak since 1996-97 (seven games), swept Ferris State in a road series for the first time since 1993-94, swept Michigan Tech in a series for the first time since 1983-84, won 16 WCHA Player of Week and six WCHA Player of the Month awards, had four All-WCHA Team selections, 14 WCHA All-Academic Team honorees, five WCHA Scholar-Athletes, a Google Cloud Academic All-District® Men's At-Large Team selection, a Hockey Humanitarian Award nominee, two Hobey Baker Award nominees, claimed the first Great Lakes Invitational Championship in program history and captured their first-ever WCHA Playoffs series win.
The Lakers will start their 54th season on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 at Taffy Abel Arena. The series, against Merrimack College, is a rematch of last year's season-opening matchup.
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