Carson Soucy, who served as a University of Minnesota Duluth assistant captain one year ago when the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four title game, will make his National Hockey League debut tonight with the Minnesota Wild. Soucy and the Wild will take on Edmonton at the Xcel Energy Center in its regular season home finale.

During his four-year UMD career, Soucy took shifts in 147 games, racking up 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) while going a +31. The Irma, Alberta, native has been credited with one goal and 14 assists in 67 appearances with the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild this season and currently leads the American Hockey League franchise in plus-minus rating (+12).

Once he hits the ice, Soucy will become the fourth member of the 2016-17 Bulldogs to make his NHL debut this winter (joining Alex Iafallo, Neal Pionk and Dominic Toninato) and the fifth from that group to suit up in an NHL game (goaltender Hunter Miska did so with the Arizona Coyotes back in October, but did not see any crease minutes). Nine UMD alums have done time in the NHL so far in 2017-18 (two shy of the program record set in 1994-95):

Name • Team • G-A=TP/GP, W-L-T, GAA, SVS% 
J.T. Brown • F •  Anaheim • 45GP • 2-5=7
Justin Faulk • D • Carolina • 75GP • 8-23=31
Jason Garrison • D •  Vegas • 8GP • 0-1=1
Alex Iafallo • W • Los Angeles •  75GP • 9-16=15
Matt Niskanen • D • Washington • 65GP • 7-22=29
Neal Pionk • D •  New York (Rangers) • 25 GP • 1-13=14
Alex Stalock • G •  Minnesota • 27GP • 10-10-3 • 2.76 • .913
Andy Welinski • D • Anaheim • 4GP • 0-2=2
Dominic Toninato • C • Colorado • 37GP • 0-2=2

In all, some 54 former Bulldogs have gone on to play in the NHL, with first-round draft pick Larry Wright being the first (Philadelphia in 1970-72).