The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Minnesota junior forward Connor Kurth to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season.
Kurth will report to the Syracuse Crunch and play the remainder of the 2024-25 season on an AHL tryout.
Kurth skated in 40 games with Minnesota this season, recording 18 goals and 39 points with a team-leading four game-winning tallies. The Lindstrom, Minn., native finished the campaign with a plus-31 rating, the highest among all Gopher skaters and tied for third in the NCAA. Among all Minnesota skaters, Kurth ranked first for plus/minus, second for goals and tied for second for points.
He appeared in 115 career games with the Gophers, logging 32 goals and 71 points with six game winners.
Kurth was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round (192nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
