Ducks Sign High Draft Pick Following Tough Season

After being selected with the first pick of the second round in the 2023 NHL draft, the 2023-24 season didn't go exactly as planned in junior hockey for Anaheim Ducks prospect Nico Myatovic. The 19-year-old left-winger broke his leg in the fourth game of the Western Hockey League season and was forced to sit out the next three months.

But things have taken a positive turn as of Friday as he's now officially become a pro, signing a 3-year entry-level contract with the Ducks.

NEWS: We have signed Nico Myatovic to a three-year entry-level contract. He will report to the @SDGullsAHL immediately.#FlyTogether | @EandELaw https://t.co/8otRDJ47pp

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 29, 2024

As noted in the team's announcement, Myatovic will immediately step into the professional game by joining the San Diego Gulls of the AHL on an Amateur Tryout (ATO) for the remainder of the season. He'll have 12 pro games to hone his craft before the Gulls' season comes to an end.

Myatovic, from Prince George, BC, earned his No. 33 overall selection in last year's draft with his impressive performance in the 2022-23 season in the Western Hockey League, helping lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to the WHL championship with 30 goals and 30 assists for 60 points in 68 regular-season games with an eye-popping +43 rating, while also scoring the championship-clinching goal in the playoffs.

 This past season with the Thunderbirds, he recorded nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points in 34 games.

Photo: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports