Motte Signs Pro Contract with NHL's Chicago Blackhawks
4/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
April 6, 2016
ANN ARBOR. Mich. -- Junior forward Tyler Motte has signed an entry-level contract with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, Senior Vice President and General Manager Stan Bowman announced today (Wednesday, April 6).
"I'm excited," Motte said. "The timing was right, and the opportunity in the near future was tough to pass up. It'll be tough leaving Michigan, especially my teammates, the coaching staff and friends and family that are close by. I'll be back to graduate whether it's over the summer with classes or down the road."
Motte, a native of St. Clair, Michigan, was one of the nation's top two-way forwards in 2015-16, finishing third in the country in scoring with 56 points (32 goals, 24 assists) in 38 games. An All-Big Ten First Team selection, Motte led all NCAA forwards with 70 blocked shots on the season, many of them coming on the penalty kill, and his plus-28 rating was third in the Big Ten and 11th in the country. Selected as one of ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, Motte's 12 game goal-scoring streak this season was the longest by a Michigan player in the Red Berenson era (since 1984). Motte and freshman forward Kyle Connor were the first pair of Michigan teammates to record 30 goals in a season since Kevin Porter (33 goals) and Chad Kolarik (30 goals) both reached the mark in 2007-08.
"The coaching staff has been great for three years, giving me every opportunity to succeed," Motte said. "It's been a great group of teammates here. I can't thank enough everyone that's impacted me here, including the professors, and students that have made the experience the best it can be."
Motte leaves Michigan with 105 points (50 goals, 55 assists) in 107 games. This season, he became the 85th player in program history to reach the 100-point mark. A key contributor from the moment he joined the team as a freshman, Motte built off successful freshman (nine goals, nine assists in 2013-14) and sophomore (nine goals, 22 assists in 2014-15) campaigns to become a key member of Michigan's vaunted "C-C-M Line" in 2015-16. Motte was originally selected by Chicago in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein
