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SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed center Sam Steel to a one-year, $825,000 contract.
Steel, 24 (2/3/98), collected 20 points (6-14=20) and 16 penalty minutes (PIM) in 68 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season. The 5-foot-11, 184-pound native of Ardrossan, Alberta, set career-highs in games played and blocked shots (27) and tied his career best in goals for the fourth consecutive season. Steel owns 65 points (24-41=65), 52 PIM, 77 blocked shots and 111 hits in 197 career NHL games in part of four seasons with the Ducks (2018-22). He led NHL rookies in faceoffs won (369) and faceoff percentage (50.3%) in 2019-20 (min. 400 faceoffs) and became the youngest Ducks player (21 years, 51 days) to record a hat trick at Vancouver on March 26, 2019.
Steel tallied 338 points (123-215=338) in 258 games in parts of five seasons (2013-18) with the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He helped Regina advance to the 2018 Memorial Cup and was named Memorial Cup MVP leading all players in scoring with 13 points (2-11=13) in five games. Steel recorded nine points (4-5=9) in seven games to help Canada win the gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. Steel led the WHL and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in scoring in 2016-17 with 131 points (50-81=131) in 66 games and was named the WHL Player of the Year.
He was selected by Anaheim in the first round (30th overall) of the 2016 NHL