After amassing more points than any rookie defenseman in University of Minnesota Duluth history this past season, Justin Faulk has decided to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and sign a three-year, entry-level contract with the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. Faulk, who was selected by Carolina in the second round of last summer's NHL Draft, will immediately join the Hurricanes' top minor-league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League, for the Calder Cup playoffs.

A native of South St. Paul, Minn., Faulk closed out his debut year with the NCAA Division I national champion Bulldogs last Saturday night by being selected to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. He paced all NCAA freshmen blueliners in both goals with eight (six of which came on the power play), with a school-record 33 -- three more than the previous Bulldog single-season mark set by Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Tom Kurvers in 1980-81. Faulk also turned in UMD's third best plus-minus rating (+17) on his way to securing All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (third team) and WCHA All-Rookie Team status. A member of the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament team as well, Faulk collected a least one point in six of UMD's seven postseason outings and had six points during its four-game NCAA tournament run. That included a three-assist effort in the Bulldogs' 4-3 victory over the University of Notre Dame in the Frozen Four semifinals.

Faulk becomes the ninth Bulldog since 2007 to leave school early for the professional ranks, joining left wingers Mason Raymond (with Vancouver in 2007), Rob Bordson (Anaheim in 2010) and Mike Connolly (San Jose in 2011), defensemen Matt Niskanen (Dallas in 2007), Jason Garrison (Florida in 2008) Evan Oberg (Vancouver in 2009) and Dylan Olsen (Chicago in 2010) and goaltender Alex Stalock (San Jose in 2009). The last UMD player to leave for the pros following his freshman season was defenseman Jay Rosehill (Tampa Bay) in 2005.