Reports: Eagle River goalie signs with NHL’s San Jose Sharks

Eagle River’s Andrew Shortridge is going pro.

The Quinnipiac University junior goalie has agreed to a free agent contract with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, according to multiple media reports citing Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold. The signing was reported Tuesday by ESPN anchor John Buccigross, New Haven Register columnist Chip Malafronte and the College Hockey News.

Shortridge, 23, played for Eagle River High School from 2010-12 before embarking on a junior hockey career that included stints in St. Louis, Phoenix, South Dakota and Vernon, British Columbia. He joined Quinnipiac in 2016 and over the past three seasons has become one of the top goalies in college hockey.

In 27 games this season the mechanical engineering major led all Division I goalies in save percentage (.940) and was second in goals against average (1.42) while helping the Bobcats to a national ranking and a spot in the NCAA tournament. He’s also a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in Division I. Quinnipiac defeated Arizona State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament before falling to defending champion Minnesota-Duluth on Sunday in the Midwest Regional Final in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. San Jose currently has two goalies on its NHL roster in Aaron Dell and Martin Jones. The team’s American Hockey League affiliate is the San Jose Barracuda, which shares the NHL club’s SAP Center in San Jose.