Bulmer signs with Minnesota
From the Kelowna Daily Courier
Rockets forward Brett Bulmer has inked an entry level contract with the Minnesota Wild.
The skilled left-winger from Prince George signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Selected in the second round, 39th overall, in last June‘s NHL entry draft, Bulmer is still likely to spend a third WHL season in Kelowna‘s fold. He turns 19 on Tuesday and is therefore too young to play in the American Hockey League next season, so he‘d have to make the jump straight to Minnesota or return to the Rockets for more seasoning.
Bulmer is coming off a strong sophomore campaign that saw him tally 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points, to go along with 109 penalty minutes, in 57 games. All four totals were career highs, despite missing 15 games because of injury. He added four power-play goals and three game-winners in the regular season, before contributing four goals and six points in 10 playoff games as Kelowna bowed out to top-ranked Portland last Sunday. The Rockets lost that best-of-seven series 4-2, after sweeping Prince George in the opening round.
As a 17-year-old rookie, the 6-foot-3, 186-pound Bulmer compiled 13 goals, 40 points and 95 penalty minutes in 65 regular-season games, then three goals and five points in 12 playoff games. Originally an 11th-round pick (219th overall) in the 2007 bantam draft, Bulmer debuted as a 16-year-old in 2008-09, skating in three games with the Rockets, but being held pointless.
Kelowna‘s other graduates include over-age forwards Evan Bloodoff and Geordie Wudrick as well as defenceman Zak Stebner. Gritty forward Mitchell Callahan, 19, is also expected to move on, having signed with the Detroit Red Wings and being eligible to play in the AHL next season.
