The Whitecaps on Tuesday signed defenseman Sydney Baldwin, a two-time NCAA champion for the Gophers and a finalist for the 2018 Patty Kazmaier Award.
Baldwin, 23, spent the 2018-19 season with EHV Sabres Wien in Europe's Elite Women's Hockey League. She led Sabres defensemen in scoring with 19 points in 10 games and helped her team reach the league final.
Baldwin helped the Gophers win NCAA championships in 2015 and '16. As a senior in 2017-18, Baldwin had 12 goals and 20 assists on her way to first-team All-America honors and player of the year and defensive player of the year accolades in the WCHA. In high school, she led Minnetonka to three consecutive state championships (2011, '12 and '13) and was named Minnesota's Ms. Hockey in 2014.
The Whitecaps open their exhibition season on Sept. 22 against the Gophers at Ridder Arena.
Randy Johnson
Wild signs Belpedio
The Wild signed restricted free agent defenseman Louie Belpedio to a one-year contract worth $700,000 if he plays in the NHL and $100,000 if he plays in the American Hockey League.
Belpedio, 23, was a third-round pick in 2014. He has played three games for the Wild and 80 for Iowa (23 points).
Winger Kevin Fiala is the Wild's only unsigned restricted free agent with training camp beginning Sept. 12 in St. Paul.
