UNH Defenseman Brett Pesce Drafted #66 by Carolina Hurricanes

UNH Defenseman Brett Pesce (Photo: tsn.ca)

July 1st Update:
In an interview with the radio station which covers the Carolina Hurricanes, Brett Pesce had this to say about the possibility of leaving UNH and joining the Carolina Hurricanes this season:

"You know obviously I think there's a lot to work on my game, I need to get a little bit bigger, but you know I haven't really thought ahead yet. I'm trying to play it day by day."

UNH defenseman Brett Pesce took another huge step toward fulfilling his dream of playing in the National Hockey League. Surrounded by family and friends, Pesce was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2013 NHL Draft. He was the 66th overall pick and selected in the 3rd round. Here's how Pesce looked in his new Hurricanes' uniform:

When Pesce committed to play for the University of New Hampshire back in December, 2010, who would have guessed he'd be drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2013 NHL Draft? UNH head coach Dick Umile and his staff knew the 16-year-old Pesce was an offensively gifted, defenseman playing for Irvington/Sleepy Hollow High School (NY) and the North Jersey Avalanche travel team. They also knew Pesce was being recruited by other top college programs such as Boston College, Quinnipiac, and Providence.

As UNH fans know, Pesce was one of those rare freshman who became a mainstay in the Wildcat lineup. David Gregory from NHL Central Scouting summed up Brett's season:

"He's been impressive all year long. He walked into a program that traditionally doesn't play freshmen. I'm not talking just sitting on the bench, either -- because this is a team that doesn't even dress freshmen. But he was given more ice time as the year progressed and was used in very important situations for them. He had a tremendous season."

As for Pesce's immediate future, he had this to say in a Wall Street Journal article:

"I've got a lot of things to work on. I have great coaches at UNH, and I hope they're going to keep teaching me."