ASU Hockey: Brinson Pasichnuk signs entry-level deal with San Jose Sharks

Arizona State defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk has officially agreed to terms on an entry-level deal with the San Jose Sharks as an undrafted college free agent.

He becomes the second Sun Devil to sign an NHL contract, following in the footsteps of goaltender Joey Daccord, who signed last season with the Ottawa Senators.

The terms of the deal also come at an interesting time with the current postponement and possible cancellation of the NHL season looming amid Coronavirus outbreaks.

According to TSN Reporter Frank Seravalli, the contract can be used during the current 2019-20 season pending that the season starts back up. However, if the season doesn’t fall through, then Pasichnuk’s contract wouldn’t begin until the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Last summer, Pasichnuk also participated in the Sharks development camp in San Jose.

In four years at ASU, the captain was the only player in program history to record 100 career points, and he scored the first postseason goal in Sun Devil hockey history when he blasted a top shelf snap shot against Quinnipiac in last year’s Allentown Regional.

He was ranked third among national defensemen in points with 37, and and he was tied for second in goals with 11. He also had a senior night hat trick against Alaska Anchorage, helping to seal off a memorable final game at Oceanside Arena.

Additionally, he helped patrol the Sun Devils’ special team unit alongside his counterpart, Josh Maniscalco, who also had a variety of offers from NHL teams but elected to return for his senior season. The duo played together as a defense pair in every game over the last two years.

In September, Pasichnuk made an emphasis on winning a national title during his final season, but as has been the unfortunate case in all too many sports as of late, the fourth-year player wasn’t able to fulfill the dream as his season was cut short and cancelled just a few weeks ago.

“It starts with our upperclassmen and our work ethic everyday,” Pasichnuk said in September. “I think that it shows them (the underclassmen) that this program isn’t a joke. You come here to win a national championship, and that’s what we are striving for this year..We are well on our way to taking the right steps to get there.”

Pasichnuk had the same message after his senior night on Feb. 15, and it’s why he didn’t go pro the year prior.

In the blue-liners first two years, he won 18 games. In his final two, Pasichnuk won 43 and was apart of the two most historic seasons to date.

Playing alongside his twin brother, Steenn, for four years, the defenseman from the small Canadian town of Bonnyville, Alberta leaves Tempe as ASU’s all-time leader in points and goals as a defenseman, averaging a point per game in his final season as a Hobey Baker contender.

He also got married to former ASU volleyball player Halle Johnson, and he now heads off to the professional ranks looking to become the second Sun Devil to play a game in the NHL.

“This has been the best four years of my life,” said Pasichnuk in February. “This place has given me so much with incredible brothers and incredible memories...I found my wife here, and this place changed my life completely. I’m forever grateful for it.”