The Manitoba Moose have signed netminder Thomas Milic to a standard AHL contract.
The Manitoba Moose have locked in goaltender Thomas Milic on a standard one-year American Hockey League contract for the 2023-24 season.
Milic, to whom the Winnipeg Jets selected 151st overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, spent the past three seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
He beat the hometown Winnipeg ICE in the WHL championship last season, before moving on to the Memorial Cup.
Milic skated at Jets' prospect camp, training camp and was recently sent down to Moose training camp, where he has since earned his first professional deal.
Cracking the squad was a challenge, however, for the 2023 WHL goaltender of the year, as Moose training camp was fully stocked with fellow netminders. Last season's starter Oskari Salminen, Winnipeg-based invitee Dante Gianuzzi and Jets' offseason signing Collin Delia were all battling for a spot in the crease.
On Tuesday, Gianuzzi (Utah) and Milic (Norfolk) were sent down to their respective ECHL squads for the coming season.
The 20-year-old went 27-3-1 with a 2.08 goals against average and a .928 save percentage last year, before taking home a gold medal for Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
The Moose held their final training camp skate on Monday morning at hockey for all centre, before the playing group suits up against the University of Manitoba Bisons at 1:00 PM central time at the same location.