"He's a very well-rounded player. A highly sought-after defenseman by a lot of clubs and we are delighted to acquire him as our first college signing. It should be a very good fit for the Vegas Golden Knights," said McPhee. "He'll join us in the next couple of days as soon as we can get him on a plane."
Whitecloud has been signed to a three-year Entry Level Contract and will join the Golden Knights as early as this weekend in Buffalo. He will be eligible to play for the team at the NHL level this season.
"He could (play for us this season)," said McPhee. "The benefit of having him here is he can really learn a lot being around our team and our coaches.
"He's a mobile defenseman. He moves the puck real well and he's a safe player right now. We think he plays conservatively and we believe he can give us a lot more offensively. He has lots of room for growth. He's good and safe and conservative. He'll build the offensive end of his game."
Whitecloud is from Brandon, Manitoba and has been known to Golden Knights assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon for a long time. Whitecloud agreed to terms with Vegas on Thursday and will spend the rest of the season with the NHL club. He'll attend development and rookie camp prior to training camp with the rest of the club's prospects.
"Our scouts identified him. Kelly McCrimmon knew him from his time in Manitoba. We've looked at him for a few years," said McPhee. "He's really developed well and he wants to be a pro now. We're really delighted to have him."
Whitecloud, 6-1 and 196 pounds, recently finished his sophomore year with Bemidji where he registered four goals and 14 assists in 36 games. As a freshman at BSU, he ranked second on the team in assists (14) and blocked shots (59). For his career at Bemidji State, the 21-year-old Whitecloud recorded 36 points (7 G, 29 A) in 77 games.
