Since the Barrie Colts were knocked out of the OHL Playoffs by the Oshawa Generals, Colts captain Beau Jelsma has signed an ATO with the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Beau Jelsma has been the heart-and-soul of the Barrie Colts for several seasons, he's gone undrafted in the past two NHL Drafts, but now he is getting his opportunity.
The Pittsburgh Penguins AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Jelsma to an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO).
Jelsma is set to join the Penguins immediately and begin his professional AHL career. He will look to sign a contract with Pittsburgh or an AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton by the end of his tenure, but will likely return to the Colts next season for his overage year.
Jelsma leads the Colts both on-and-off the ice, he wears the 'C' and he possesses a lot of in-game leadership abilities. He plays a complete two-way game, but he also has the electric speed and vision to create and drive offence. He can beat opponents with his feet, but he can also beat him with his hockey sense.
He finished the season with 81 points including 37 goals, and he helped take the Oshawa Generals to six games in the first round of the OHL Playoffs.
No one deserves this deal more than Beau Jelsma, and this has been a long time coming for him. There was draft talk surrounding him in his draft year, but also last year as a year older — but no one took a chance on him.
Now, the Pittsburgh Penguins organization has the privilege of bringing him in to see him fight for a contract.