Ben Blood had the option of signing with the Ottawa Senators last summer, but decided to put his professional hockey career on hold to finish out his eligibility at UND.
On Wednesday, that contract from the Senators again appeared before the defenseman from Plymouth, Minn. This time, Blood signed it -- a two-year deal with the NHL club and an amateur tryout contract that will allow him to finish the season with Ottawa's top minor league team, the Binghamton Senators.
"I feel confident and ready and that's because of the coaching staff and everything I've learned from them," said Blood, who routinely logged more than 30 minutes of ice time for UND. "I owe them a lot. I owe the program a lot. I wouldn't be where I am today having not spent four years here."
Blood said he made the right decision to return for his senior season.
"I wish I had a fifth year," Blood said. "I would come back in a heartbeat. If I could tell anyone who is thinking of leaving early, I would tell them I'd do this again. There's nothing like playing in The Ralph. There's nothing like playing for Dave Hakstol. It's such a special place. You won't find it anywhere else. I'm glad I came back for a fourth year. I feel really good about it."
ADVERTISEMENT
At 6-foot-4, 226 pounds, Blood was arguably the most physically dominant defenseman in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. While being a menace in his own end, Blood racked up a career-high 21 points and played in all situations for the Sioux.
He logged the most minutes on the team, by far, even racking up 36 in a 2-1 win against rival Minnesota in January.
Blood was UND's nominee for WCHA player of the year and for the Hobey Baker Award.
"It was big for me to play in all different situations -- the power play, the penalty kill, at the end of games when we were down, at the end of games when we were up," Blood said. "Being a leader in the locker room, a leader in practice, a leader in the gym was good. It helped me become ready to take this next step."
Blood will meet up with Binghamton today and is expected to play his first pro game Friday night in Norfolk, Va.
The alternate captain said he plans to return to Grand Forks after Binghamton's season ends.
As for his memories about his time at UND?
"I could go on and on forever," he said. "I think the biggest thing I need to say is thank you to all the people, all the coaches and all of my teammates. I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for them. Coach Hakstol, coach (Cary) Eades and coach (Dane) Jackson helped me out a lot and I can't thank them enough. My time went by really fast. It's a little sad to think about. But I'm happy with the time I spent here and I'm excited to look into the future."
ADVERTISEMENT
Reach Schlossman at (701) 780-1129; (800) 477-6572, ext. 129; or send e-mail to bschlossman@gfherald.com .
The Trust Project
