October 28: Now that Rossi has been signed, a loan to the ZSC Lions can become official. Rossi actually doesn’t count against the import player limit for Zurich thanks to holding a Swiss player license from his years in the development system. He will return to North America in time for NHL training camp.
October 23: The Minnesota Wild have signed top draft choice Marco Rossi to a three-year, entry-level contract. Rossi has spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL before going ninth overall in this month’s draft.
Rossi, who turned 19 a month ago, is considered one of the few players selected this year that could be able to step directly into an NHL lineup next season. The Austrian-born center was a sensational talent for Ottawa, scoring 120 points in just 56 games this season. That point total led all CHL skaters and he was named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player.
Good at both ends of the rink, the biggest knock on Rossi is his size. Standing just 5’9″ he is by no means the prototypical big-bodied center, but he makes up for it with skill, skating ability and tremendous awareness.
The OHL was shooting for a December start date in the past, but is now much more likely to push the start of their season even further. If that’s the case, Rossi could very well end up in NHL training camp with the Wild as the next stop in his hockey career.
hope he plays this year.
Hope the Wild hit gold in this guy…….they need something to to bring hope to their fans.
This kid seems pretty legit. Definitely screams talented first liner.