Future 'Cat, Scott Pavelski

As a 2007-2008 Waterloo Blackhawk, with teammates Blake Kessel on the blueline as the team's second leading scorer and goaltender Matthew DiGirolamo tending the net, Scott Pavelski had just 10 points through 54 games, had 54 penalty minutes, and was a minus 6. This year he came back and put up nearly three times the points in 57 regular season games, scoring 13 goals along with 16 helpers, reduced his penalty minutes to 36 and boosted his plus/minus rating by 25 points finishing the season with a +19 rating. He had the team's seventh best shooting percentage after actually taking one less shot in the course of his second season but scoring more than four times as many goals - all after having had wrist surgery in the off-season.

At 6', 190 lbs. Scott is a hard nosed player who is a great skater, tough to play against and elevates his teammates' level of play out on the ice. It also seems he endears himself to fans both on and off the ice as evidenced by toddler, Kellen Kantaris, in this great story by Jim Nelson of the WCF Courier.

According to the USHL release on his commitment, Pavelski was named the Hawks' Unsung Hero by his teammates along with Patrick Wey who many had hoped to see join our Wildcats.

You can see this Future 'Cat in action in this short clip (no sound), and here scoring in the shootout.

Welcome to Wildcat Nation, Scott!

Go 'Cats!