Grant Clitsome and Steve Zalewski, who recently completed their senior campaigns with the Clarkson University Hockey team, have joined the growing list of former Golden Knights playing professional hockey.
A 2004 National Hockey League Draft choice of Columbus (9th round, 271 overall), Clitsome has signed a NHL contract with the Blue Jackets and will report immediately to the organization’s American Hockey League team in Syracuse.
Zalewski, a 2004 draft selection of San Jose (5th round, 153 overall), has signed a NHL contract with the Sharks and will play the remainder of the season for the club’s AHL affiliate in Worcester.
“We are very pleased for Grant and Steve and wish them nothing but the best,” stated Clarkson head coach George Roll. “It is a credit to their efforts on the ice, in the locker room, and their work in the weight room. They have been outstanding representatives of Clarkson Hockey and made a huge impact on our program and have certainly helped lead us in our turnaround. After seeing their development here at Clarkson, I am certain they will have long and successful pro careers. It reflects highly on our program that we can attract players of Grant’s and Steve’s caliber.”
A First-Team ECAC Hockey All-Star defenseman and NCAA East Regional Team selection, Clitsome boasted the best plus/minus overall among all ECAC Hockey players at +23. The 5-11, 210-pound Gloucester, ONT native anchored Clarkson’s stingy defensive effort – ranked 3rd in the league – as the Knights’ lone senior on the blueline.
Serving as an assistant captain, Clitsome led the Clarkson defensemen in scoring with 22 points on five goals and 17 assists. He scored twice on the power play, once shorthanded and recorded seven multiple-point games. Clitsome tallied 10 points (2-8) in the last eight games of regular season to help Clarkson win the ECAC Regular Season Championship. Through 150 career games, Clitsome posted 73 points on 16 goals and 57 assists. He was named to the 2008 ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.
Also a First-Team ECAC Hockey All-Star, Zalewski was Clarkson’s leading goal scorer with 21, the most by a Knight since Erik Cole scored 22 in 1998-99, and second overall in points for the Green and Gold with 33. The 6-0, 192-pound center was the leading goal scorer in ECAC Hockey play with 16, and scored a team-high seven power-play tallies to go along with two shorthanded markers and four game-winners. The Knights were 11-2-3 when the New Hartford, NY native scored a goal.
An assistant captain in his senior campaign, Zalewski became the first Clarkson player in over 10 years to score four goals in a game - in 6-2 win at Princeton (11/10). He tallied his second career hat trick and added one assist for another four-point effort in the 4-2 win at Harvard (1/12). Zalewski reached the century mark this season with 108 points (58-50) through 151 career games.
Clitsome and Zalewski helped the Golden Knights post a 22-13-4 overall record, win the conference regular season title with a 15-4-3 league mark and make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Clarkson closed out one of its most successful seasons on March 28-29 at the NCAA East Regional in Albany where the Green and Gold earned Clarkson’s first tournament victory in 12 years with a 2-1 win over St. Cloud before falling to number-one ranked Michigan 2-0 in the regional championship game.
