Joey Anderson, who recently put the wraps on his sophomore season with the 2017-18 NCAA champion University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, has signed a three-year entry level contract with the National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils and thus will forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility. 

A third round pick (73rd pick overall) of the Devils in the 2016 NHL Draft, Anderson placed fourth on the 2017-18 Bulldog scoring charts, generating 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assists in 36 games. He also paced UMD in shots per game (3.36), home goals (eight) and home points (22) and ranked second in plus-minus rating (+14) and points per game (0.75). This past January, Anderson captained Team USA to a bronze medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. -- the second straight year he competed at that event. One year ago, Anderson amassed 37 points to take a backseat only to All-American Alex Iafallo in scoring among Bulldogs and that output equaled the largest by a UMD rookie in six years (J.T. Brown with 37 points). He went on to earn a spot on the 2016-17 National Collegiate Hockey Conference All-Rookie Team as well as the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team.

Anderson, who holds the distinction of being the only UMD product to ever claim a IIHF World Junior gold medal (2017), is a two-time NCHC All-Academic Team qualifier. His Bulldog career stat line included 23 goals and 41 assists for 64 points in 75 outings.  He was also a +24.

Anderson is the 17th Bulldog since 2007 to leave UMD early for the professional ranks, joining forwardsMason Raymond (with Vancouver in 2007), Rob Bordson (Anaheim in 2010), Mike Connolly (San Jose in 2011), J.T. Brown (Tampa Bay in 2012),Caleb Herbert (Washington in 2014) and Adam Johnson (Pittsburgh in 2017), defensemen Matt Niskanen (Dallas in 2007), Jason Garrison (Florida in 2008), Evan Oberg (Vancouver in 2009), Dylan Olsen (Chicago in 2010), Justin Faulk (Carolina in 2011), Chris Casto (Boston in 2013) and Neal Pionk (New York Rangers in 2017) and goaltenders Hunter Miska (Phoenix in 2017), Kasimir Kaskisuo (Toronto in 2016) and Alex Stalock (San Jose in 2009).