ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Frank Nazar III, Dylan Duke, and Gavin Brindley are moving to the next level after Michigan’s season came to an end in the Frozen Four. All three players have signed entry-level contracts to the NHL to start their professional careers.

Brindley, who was the Big Ten Player of the Year and a AHCA/CCM All-American, signed with Columbus. He finished the year with 53 points in 40 games. He also made the Big Ten All-Tournament team and NCAA All-Regional team. The contract is a three-year entry-level contract.

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Duke signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning and will begin in 2024-25. He will report to the Syracuse Crunch the rest of the year. He was a fourth-round selection of the Lightning in 2021. This year he played in 41 games earning 26 goals, 23 assists, and 49 points. With eight game-winning goals, he was second in the nation in that category. The Big Ten named him to the second-team and he was the MVP of the NCAA Regional in Maryland.

Nazar signed with Chicago on Saturday and made his NHL debut on Sunday in the Blackhawks final regular season home game. He is the 115th Wolverine to play in the NHL and had 17 goals and 24 assists in 41 games this year. In his debut with Chicago, he scored his first goal on his first shot as he was named to the NHL Network First Star of the Night.

Michigan finished in the Frozen Four and had 23 wins on the year.