Dallas Stars Sign Forward Jordan Kawaguchi To One-Year, Entry-Level Contract
Mar 31, 2021FRISCO, Texas – Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today the club has signed forward Jordan Kawaguchi to a one-year, entry-level contract. Kawaguchi will report to the Texas Stars on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.
Kawaguchi, 23, ranked third in the NCAA with 26 assists and fourth with 36 points (10-26=36) in 28 games during the 2020-21 campaign, pacing the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in both categories. The forward was named captain in his senior season at University of North Dakota and finished tied for fifth on the team with 10 goals and two game-winning goals, both coming in overtime. Kawaguchi also shared third on the squad with a +19 plus/minus rating.
Kawaguchi finishes his collegiate career with 126 points (40-86=126) in 136 career NCAA games with the University of North Dakota. In his four NCAA seasons, he helped the team win two Penrose Cups as NCHC regular-season champions (2019-20, 2020-21), one NCHC Tournament Championship in 2020-21 and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2020-21. A finalist for the 2020 Hobey Baker Award for the NCAA’s player of the year, Kawaguchi was named the 2019-20 USCHO Player of the Year and the 2019-20 NCHC Forward of the Year. He also earned NCHC First All-Star Team honors in 2019-20 and 2020-21, in addition to being named to the 2019-20 All-USCHO First Team.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound native of Abbotsford, British Columbia was originally undrafted.
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.
Photo Credit: Mark Kuhlmann