Hurricanes sign Josh Wesley to entry-level deal

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with defenseman Josh Wesley on a three-year, entry-level contract (ELC) as announced by the team on Wednesday.

Along with a signing bonus of $210,000, the deal will pay Wesley $575,000 in the NHL or $60,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2015-2016, and $650,000 (NHL) or $65,000 (AHL) during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

“Josh has continued to progress in his development,” said Hurricanes executive vice president and general manager Ron Francis.

“He played very well for Niagara in the playoffs and is ready to begin his professional hockey career.”

The 20-year old totaled 18 points (5g, 13a) and registered a plus-7 rating in 57 regular-season games for the Flint Firebirds and Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2015-16.

He led the Ice Dogs in plus-minus (+8) during the 2016 OHL playoffs, totaling four points (2g, 2a) in 17 games as Niagara advanced to the OHL Final before falling to eventual Memorial Cup-champion London Knights.

Selected by Carolina in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Wesley completed his junior hockey career with 37 points (11g, 26a) and 164 penalty minutes in 188 regular-season games with Plymouth, Flint and Niagara.

Son of former Hurricanes defenseman and current Director of Defensemen Development Glen Wesley, the six-foot-three-inch, 200-pound, right-hand shooting blueliner was born in Hartford, Conn., and raised in Raleigh where he played his minor hockey and emerged as a product of the Junior Hurricanes and United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) systems.