Winnipeg ICE forwards Connor McClennon and Owen Pederson have both agreed to multi-year contracts beginning next season.
This past week, it was announced that McClennon, 20, and Pederson, 21, had agreed to terms on separate two-year deals with the Chicago Wolves and Providence Bruins, respectively.
McClennon (Wainright, AB.) who was drafted in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2020, was not signed by the league's imposed cutoff last season, so became a free agent, to which the Chicago Wolves pounced.
Pederson, of Stony Plain, AB., was never drafted to an NHL club, but will have the opportunity to showcase his skills at Boston's development camp next fall.
Both players spent the better part of the past five years with the ICE. First suiting up in Kootenay, Pederson got his WHL start in the 2018-19 season. McClennon did the same, but skated in five games for Kootenay in 2017-18, as he got his foot in the door slightly earlier.
Their past four years were spent in Winnipeg, where the two players really seemed to find their way in major junior hockey.
McClennon put up back-to-back 40+ goal seasons, finishing 2021-22 with 42 goals, before besting last year's totals with 46 tallies this past season. He also scored 14 goals in 19 playoff games this spring.
Much like that of McClennon, Pederson put up his best offensive numbers in 2022-23. He found the back of the net 32 times while adding 42 assists for 75 points and 38 penalty minutes in 65 regular season games. He scored four goals and 12 points in his 19 postseason outings.
Both players heavily contributed to the booming success of Winnipeg's junior club the past two seasons. The ICE put up a CHL-best 53-10-3-2 record in 2021-22, before one-upping themselves with a 57-10-1-0 record this past year. Unfortunately for the Albertan duo, neither team was able to win the WHL championship or make its way to the Memorial Cup.