The Edmonton Oilers have signed 2007 draft pick Alex Plante to a three-year NHL entry level contract, the team announced Thursday.
Plante, the Oilers second choice, 15th overall in 2007, recently completed his fourth full season of junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. The 6’3″, 225-pound defenceman from Brandon, Manitoba had eight goals and 37 assists for 45 points in 68 games with 157 penalty minutes.
The 20-year-old defenceman led Hitmen blueliners in scoring during the playoffs with six goals and nine assists in 18 games with 41 penalty minutes. He was tied for 21st overall in playoff scoring in the WHL and fourth among defencemen.
Plante scored has 89 points (18 goals, 71 assists) with 344 penalty minutes in 224 career regular season games with Calgary from 2004-05 to 2008-09. His total of 45 points in 2008-09 was a career high.
