A day for Islander fans

Anders Lee (New York Islanders)

Monday turned out to be a very good day for the New York Islander fans with a signing, a "player of the week" and a 1st round pick entering the system. Sorry Ranger fans but there wasn't anything to report on your end of the prospect world with Michael St. Croix as the only active prospect.

Anders Lee (NYI 2009 6th) decided to give up his senior season and Notre Dame to sign a 2 year entry level contract. It is unknown at this time whether Lee will report to Bridgeport or remain at Notre Dame to finish out the school year.

Here is the press release on Lee from the Islanders:

UNIONDALE, NY (April 1, 2013) – The New York Islanders announced today that Anders Lee has agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level deal.

Lee, 22, led the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in goals (20) and points (38) this season as a junior at the University of Notre Dame. The Edina, MN native captained the Fighting Irish to a 17-8-3-2 record, good for second place in the CCHA and a spot in the NCAA Championship tournament. At the conclusion of the regular season, Lee was named First Team All-CCHA.

The Islanders selected Lee in the sixth round (152nd overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He led Notre Dame in goals during each of his three seasons in South Bend, totaling 116 points (61 goals, 55 assists) in 124 career games. As a freshman in 2010-11, Lee was named Second Team All-CCHA and was selected to the CCHA's All-Rookie team, while also being Notre Dame's Rookie of the Year. That year he was elected to the NCAA Northeast Regional All-Tournament Team after leading Notre Dame to the 2011 Frozen Four. Lee served as an alternate captain as a sophomore and was named Notre Dame’s lone captain for his junior year.

Prior to his collegiate career, Lee starred for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, leading the league in goals (35) and earning Rookie of the Year honors while leading Green Bay to a USHL Clark Cup Championship and being named the USHL Clark Cup MVP.

Mitchell Theoret (OHL Images)

Mitchell Theoret (NYI 2011 7th) was named the "OHL Player Of the Week" for his play helping his Barrie Colts sweep the Kingston Frontenacs in their first round matchup. Got to be happy for Theoret as his hard work this season has helped him become an all around player.

Here is the press release from the OHL

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Mitchell Theoret of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Player of the Week for the playoff week ending March 31 after scoring four goals with three assists for seven points in two games played with a plus-minus rating of plus-5.

Theoret helped lead the second seeded Colts to a four-game series win over the Kingston Frontenacs in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs with back-to-back multi-point games. In Game 3 last Monday night, he opened the scoring with a second period marker before the Colts surrendered a pair of goals to fall behind after 40 minutes. After the Colts tied the score, Theoret assisted on Mark Scheifele’s game-winner with just 1:22 to play then scored an empty-net goal with 53 seconds left to clinch the 4-2 victory. Theoret opened the scoring again in Game 4 on Wednesday night putting the Colts on the board just 10 seconds into the contest. He finished the game with four points scoring two goals and two assists including another set-up on a Scheifele game-winning goal to claim first star honours in the 8-2 series-deciding win.

Theoret, a 19-year-old native of Montreal, Quebec, is playing in his fourth OHL season. Selected by the New York Islanders in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL Draft, Theoret produced 60 points in 60 games split between the Colts and the Niagara IceDogs this season and has eight points in four playoff contests so far this spring.

Ryan Strome (OHL Images)

As expected the Islanders reassigned Ryan Strome (NYI 2011 1st) to Bridgeport of the AHL from the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. With Bridgeport having exactly 10 games left in their regular season, Strome will not be burning up a year on his entry level contract.

Bridgeport is currently sitting in 13th place in the AHL's Eastern Conference 8 points out of a playoff spot. Strome is expected to be in the Bridgeport lineup tomorrow evening.

Here is the press release on Strome:

The New York Islanders announced today that Ryan Strome has been reassigned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

Strome, 19, led the Niagara IceDogs in scoring with 94 points (34 goals, 60 assists) in 53 games this season, marking the sixth-highest point total in the Ontario Hockey League. He added three points (two goals, one assist) in five OHL Playoff games, as Niagara fell to the Oshawa Generals in the opening round. The Mississauga, ON native concluded his OHL career with 295 points (105 goals, 190 assists) in 225 regular-season games and 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 44 OHL Playoff games.

The Islanders’ first-round (fifth overall) selection in the 2011 National Hockey League Draft, Strome represented Canada at his second-career World Junior Championship this season, earning his second consecutive bronze medal and finishing second on the team in scoring with nine points (three goals, six assists).

A 6’0, 179-pound forward, Strome scored a career-high 106 points (33 goals, 73 assists) in 2010-11, finishing third in Ontario Hockey League scoring and first on Niagara. He led the IceDogs to a franchise-best 45 wins and 96 points and was voted Most Improved Player and Best Playmaker in the OHL Eastern Conference Coaches Poll. His 1.63 points-per-game ranked first among OHL forwards and he was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team.

Strome scored 68 points (30 goals, 38 assists) in 2011-12 with Niagara, finishing third on the team in goals despite playing in just 46 of the team’s 68 games. After signing an Entry-Level Contract with the Islanders on Oct. 4, 2011, Strome missed OHL games due to NHL training camp, the World Junior Championships and a facial injury suffered Jan. 14; he posted the highest points-per-game on the IceDogs (1.48) and added 23 points (7g/16a) in 20 postseason games, leading the team to the 2012 OHL finals.