Maple Leafs sign Mercyhurst's Joseph Duszak to 2-year entry-level contract

Mar 14 2019, 2:27 am

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed a college free agent.

Joseph Duszak, a junior defenceman at Mercyhurst University, has been signed to a two-year future entry-level contract.

The 21-year-old is a right-handed shot who stands at 5-foot-10 and 185-pounds.

He skated in 37 games with the Mercyhurst University Lakers during the 2018-19 season and notched 47 points (16-31-47) in the process.

In addition to being currently ranked second in the nation with 1.27 points per game as a defenceman, he’s also been nominated for the Hobey Baker Award – one of the most prestigious awards in college hockey.

“I didn’t expect anything,” he told reporters during a media scrum. “Once it happened, it was kind of crazy getting everything sorted out.”

At the college level, Duszak stood out as a puck-moving defenceman who wasn’t afraid to jump into the rush or use his shot.

He’ll be looking to bring his offensive prowess to the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ AHL affiliate — he reports to them later this week on a tryout basis.

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