St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the team has signed defenseman Matt Kessel to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin with the 2022-23 season.
Kessel, who was drafted by the Blues in the fifth round (No. 150 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, will report to the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, on a tryout and remain with the team for the remainder of the season.
Kessel, 21, has spent the past three seasons at UMass-Amherst. This season, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound defenseman dressed in 37 regular-season games, collecting 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) and 22 penalty minutes. In 2020-21, Kessel logged 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 29 regular-season games and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team after helping Amherst capture the 2021 NCAA Championship.
Prior to his collegiate career, Kessel spent two seasons in the USHL, including 2018-19 when he led the Sioux Falls Stampede to the Clark Cup championship.
