Providence Friars Junior Defenseman Jacob Bryson has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres that will begin with the 2019-2020 hockey season.  Bryson, a Captain for this year’s PC hockey team, was selected in the 4th round of the 2017 Draft with the 99th overall selection.

We have signed defenseman Jacob Bryson to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Bryson will sign an ATO and report to @AmerksHockey. The entry-level contract will begin starting with the 2019-20 season. pic.twitter.com/lsoAFk2Hnz

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 15, 2019

As a result of signing his contract, Bryson will therefore skip his Senior season with the Friars for the upcoming 2019-2020 hockey season.  Bryson  will report to the Rochester Americans, the AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres to start the 2019-2020 season.

As a Friar, Bryson finished his three-year collegiate career playing 121 games and recording 11 goals and 62 assists.  Using my incredible math skills, that tells me that across Bryson’s time with the Friars, that averages out more than a point in every three  games he appeared.

And, if you didn’t know (he’s a Friar so you should’ve), Coach Leaman had some glowing remarks when asked about his stud player.

“When I first met him, I was really impressed with the family values. I was really impressed by everyone involved on his trip, meeting his parents also.  We knew he was a ballplayer, but we really were just checking out what type of kid he was. He checked all the boxes.”  

So not only are the Sabres getting a hell of a player, they’re getting a hell of kid as well. Good on ya Jacob.

Bryson also had some glowing remarks for the Sabres development staff and their consistent contact and attention to detail in his gameplay.

“They give me things that they want me to do every game and I think it’s my job to kind of get to those expectations every game, because you don’t want to have one good game, one bad game. You want to play every game at your best. I try to reach those expectations of what they give me, just little tips here and there. I get tips from Coach Leaman and I get tips from them, too, so I kind of get the best of both worlds and that’s what makes the best players.  The development staff, they’re amazing. They come out to a lot of games during the year and they do such a good job of keeping tabs on their players and making sure that you can get better every day by their help.”

I’m going to have to start keeping a running list of Providence College hockey players in the NHL soon or I’m going to lose track of all these guys in the league.  The Friars had the most NHL Draft picks playing for their team this year of any college team that made the NCAA tournament, so I guess it’s a good problem to have and one that doesn’t seem like it’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.

Go Friars!