Defenseman Drew Bavaro signs pro contract with NHL's Boston Bruins

 SOUTH BEND – Another Notre Dame hockey player is returning to his roots to begin his professional career.

Senior defenseman Drew Bavaro, who played at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass., and spent his first two college seasons at Bentley University in nearby Waltham, has signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins that begins next season. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Bavaro will finish the current season on an amateur tryout contract (ATO) with Boston’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins. 

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Bavaro, whose family resides in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., is the second Irish player to agree to an NHL contract since the Fighting Irish (15-19-2) concluded their season Saturday night with a 4-3 loss at Michigan in the Big Ten Postseason Tournament quarterfinals. Captain and senior left wing Landon Slaggert, a native of South Bend who played for the Chicago Mission youth team growing up, signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks and is expected to make his debut with the team later this week.

“I couldn’t be happier to sign my first NHL contract with the Boston Bruins,” said Bavaro, who had 10 goals and 10 assists in his second season at Notre Dame after transferring from Bentley, an Atlantic Hockey Association member. Bavaro finished the two-game series with Michigan with three goals. 

“The past two years at Notre Dame have been a dream come true,” Bavaro added. “Playing for coach (Jeff) Jackson and the rest of the staff is something I will cherish forever, and this wouldn’t have been possible without their hard work. I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

In two seasons and 72 games with Notre Dame, the right-handed shooting Bavaro had 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points. Bavaro, who played the point on Notre Dame’s power play, had five game-winning goals in his two seasons in South Bend, including three this season.

Providence has back-to-back home games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday and Saturday.