On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings signed free agent forward Kevin Westgarth to a multi-year, entry-level contract.

The 6-4, 245-pound native of Amherstburg, Ontario was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate.

Westgarth, 23, played in 33 games for the Princeton University Tigers this season, scoring eight goals, including five power play goals, and 16 assists for 24 points with 40 penalty minutes.

In four seasons with the Tigers, Westgarth, who was signed to a two-way deal by the Kings, scored 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points with 160 penalty minutes in 116 games.

“I am especially proud of Kevin in the fact that he worked extremely hard, not just on physical strength and conditioning, but on his game,” said Tigers head coach Guy Gadowsky. ”Everything from checking technique and puck protection, to defining his role and shift management, I know he did a lot of mental work as well as on and off-ice physical training.”

“He has made a great contribution to our program on and off the ice the past four years,” added Gadowsky. “We wish him the best in his professional career with the Los Angeles Kings and look forward to seeing his successes.”

Westgarth also played for the Chatham Junior Maroons of the Western Ontario Hockey League before enrolling at Princeton. With Chatham, Westgarth was the team’s Academic Player of the Year in 2001-02, and won the Barry Wiseman Memorial Award for excellence in scholastics and on-ice performance.

For Westgarth, signing with a National Hockey League team was not just the fulfillment of a dream. It was also a reflection on the quality of coaching and player development at Princeton.

“Growing up watching Hockey Night in Canada, this is obviously a dream come true, and something I have been working towards for my entire life,” said Westgarth. “I look forward to making the most of this opportunity for myself, my parents, and for the Princeton hockey program.”

“This will help to further demonstrate that coming to Princeton does not preclude you from success in athletics, but that it is a part of an environment that prizes excellence in all facets of life,” added Westgarth. “All of this still seems rather surreal, and I'm not sure I'll believe it until I step on the ice again.”

Gann Matsuda, who has been writing about the Kings since 1986, is the News Editor for the Online Kingdom and covers the Kings for Hockeytalk.biz. He also covers professional hockey players of Japanese descent for the English section of the Rafu Shimpo (Los Angeles Japanese Daily News).
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