It will come to no surprise to fans of the Seattle Thunderbirds that Keegan Kolesar has been selected to play with the big boys. The right winger has landed a three-year entry contract to play in the NHL and the Thunderbirds community could not be more excited for him. Kolesar was the 69^th pick overall in the 2015 NHL Draft in Sunrise, Florida. The Columbus Blue Jackets selected him during the third round of the draft. The forward’s new contract details were not revealed, as is the policy; but Kolesar definitely has the skills and attitude that demand recognition from whatever team he joins.

Kolesar is 6’1 and weighs 220 pounds. He was born on April 8, 1997 in Winnipeg. Kolesar has had a terrific go with the Birds, appearing in 64 games during the regular season just last season alone. He made 19 goals and 19 assists during the 2014-2015 season, resulting in 38 points for the season. This season, he has played in 33 games and, even though it is only midseason, made nearly as many goals as last year, with 16 under his belt. He has also made a total of 24 assists this season, resulting in 40 points already and the rest of the season to go, tying him for 15^th place in the WHL in terms of points. Out of all the guys on the team, Kolesar is currently second in Seattle, with only Matthew Barzal ahead of him in scoring. Kolesar, 18, is also 11^th in the league with penalty minutes.

Seattle Thunderbirds general manager Russ Farwell sang Kolesar’s praises when the news was announced, saying, “We are very happy and excited for Keegan to be signing with Columbus. Signing his first pro contract is such a huge step in a player’s career and we look forward to watching him continue to develop his game over the next two years.” The Blue Jackets also signed Paul Bittner on during the second round of draft picks.

Fans are cheering from Winnipeg, Seattle and Columbia already, letting him know that they believe in him and that they feel he deserves this honor. Kolesar has not released a statement on his Twitter page yet, but he has retweeted news stories about his exciting new career. Congratulations, Mr. Kolesar. Although you will be missed by Seattle, you are bound to do great things and you will always be a Thunderbird.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia