North Dakota defenseman Jordan Schmaltz will forgo his senior season after signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Schmaltz was a first-round pick (25th overall) of the Blues at the 2012 NHL draft.
A native of Verona, Wis., Schmaltz appeared in 125 games with UND and collected 13 goals and 51 assists for 64 career points. He ranked second among NCHC defensemen in scoring in 2014-15 with a career-high 28 points.
Schmaltz also achieved career highs in assists (24), power-play goals (3) and plus-minus (plus-11) to earn his second straight selection to the All-NCHC Team. He earned All-NCHC First Team honors as a junior after being named to the All-NCHC Second Team as a sophomore. In each of those seasons, Schmaltz was UND’s highest-scoring defenseman.
