One year after deciding over Easter break that he would return to Notre Dame for his senior season, forward Mario Lucia signed his first pro contract with his hometown Wild on Easter Sunday.
Lucia, raised in Wayzata and the youngest of Gophers men's hockey coach Don Lucia's four kids, signed his two-year, entry-level deal starting in 2016-17. He also signed an amateur tryout with the Iowa Wild that starts immediately. He'll fly to Des Moines on Monday, practice for the first time Tuesday and potentially debut Wednesday against the Manitoba Moose.
"It's a good opportunity to get my feet wet, meet the guys and get acclimated to the coaching staff," Mario Lucia said Sunday. "It'll definitely help show me how much work I have to do this summer and where I'm at right now with my game. It'll be a learning curve first going in."
Lucia, 22, a 2011 second-round pick of the Wild, finished his college career with 61 goals and 110 points in 151 games.
MICHAEL RUSSO