The Minnesota Wild last week signed forward Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2020-21 season.
Chaffee, 22 (1/26/98), recorded 29 points (16-13=29) in 30 games during his recently completed junior season at the University of Massachusetts. The 6-foot, 205-pound winger served as co-captain and ranked T-1st on the Minutemen in power-play points (9), second in goals, power-play goals (3), game-winning goals (3) and shots on goal (101), fourth in assists and fifth in plus/minus rating (+16). The native of Grand Rapids, Mich., ranked T-7th in the Hockey East Conference in goals and GWG, eighth in shots per game (3.37) and T-12th in shots on goal. The right-shot forward collected 13 points (8-5=13) in a career-best eight-game point streak, Oct. 19-Nov. 22, and registered his first career hat trick Jan. 17 at Vermont.
Chaffee tallied 95 points (47-48=95), 71 penalty minutes, 13 PPG, eight GWG and a plus-34 rating in 108 career games with UMass in three seasons (2017-20). He was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team twice (2017-2019). The forward recorded 42 points (18-24=42) in 39 games his sophomore campaign in 2018-19 and received the following accolades: New England All-Star, Hockey East First Team All-Star, Hockey East Scoring Champion, Herb Gallagher Award (New England’s Best Forward) and CCM/AHCA First Team All-American.
Prior to joining the Minutemen, Chaffee skated in two seasons with the United States Hockey League (USHL) and registered 29 points (15-14=29) and 78 PIM in 103 contests with Bloomington (2015-17) and Fargo (2016-17).
MNN Sports Correspondent Kevin Falness spoke with Chaffee:
(info and photo courtesy of Wild.com)