Yip inks 2-year deal with Avalanche

Former Terrier wing Brandon Yip, who led all NHL rookies in goals per game last season, has signed a 2-year, $1.45 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche, according to the Denver Post.

The British Columbia product, who scored 108 points in his Terrier career, including 20 goals as a senior, had injured a hand during training camp last September and didn't join the Avs until December, but became an instant point -- and hit-- producer as part of a youthful Colorado team coached by former Terrier standout Joe Sacco. Yip had been a restricted free agent.

At BU, Yip became the first player to score the game-winning goal in the Hockey East championship game in two seasons: 2006 vs. BC (video) and 2009 vs. Lowell (video)

• Avs Web site feature on Yip
• Grading the Avs
• ProHockey Talk

Continuing a trend that has people referring to the Avalanche as "BU West," Colorado also has signed former BU standout David VanderGulik as a free agent. Also a British Columbia product, VanderGullik had been a seventh round Calgary draft choice in 2002 and spent the past four seasons in the Flames' system. This past season, he was second in scoring for the team's AHL club in Abbottsford, Vandy's hometown, and made six NHL starts for the Flames in 2008-09. He and Yip were teammates on the 2005-06 Terriers' Hockey East championship team.

During the upcoming season, VanderGulik is expected to play in Lake Erie (AHL) for former BU associate coach David Quinn. Kevin Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen and Zach Cohen, all of whom signed with the Avs after the Terriers' 2009-10 season, are likely to join him in Lake Erie.

Camping
Sophomore Ben Rosen has been at New York Islanders mini-prospect camp this week, along with Corey Trivino, who was the Isles' 2nd round draft choice in 2008. Rosen is one of a group of undrafted players from the local New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area, most of whom are NCAA players.

Dave Warsofsky, recently acquired by the Bruins in a trade, is at the team's development camp in Wilmington, Mass.


Grant Rollheiser, a Toronto draft choice, is at the Leafs's prospect camp in Toronto.

Skates and Books
The competition for top hockey talent between NCAA schools and Canada’s major junior leagues is as heated as ever. The debate over which system better prepares a player for the NHL elicits diverse opinions in the hockey community. However, only a small percentage of college or MJ players will make hockey his career, so education become another important point of comparison. College coaches and recruiters have frequently disputed some of the claims made by the MJ leagues about their education packages. An insightful news feature in Kitchener, Ontario's The Record examines the OHL package, providing the colleges with further ammunition.