QU's Mike Dalhuisen Signs With NHL's New York Islanders

Quinnipiac men's ice hockey senior Mike Dalhuisen has been signed by the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, as announced by the organization on Friday.

Dalhuisen will report to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for the 2013-14 season. 

"It's an amazing feeling to get closer and closer to your lifelong dream," Dalhuisen said. "All of the hard work of the past 21 years of hockey is finally paying off."

Dalhuisen is the second Bobcat to sign a professional this week after Eric Hartzell inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Prior to coming to Quinnipiac, Dalhuisen played for the Lincoln (Neb.) Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL).  

"We're very happy for Mike in continuing his career in the Islanders organization," head coach Rand Pecknold said. "We're proud of his accomplishments and wish him all the best as he progresses to the NHL."

Dalhuisen recently completed a four-year career with the Bobcats as one of 11 seniors that led Quinnipiac to its first NCAA Frozen Four and National Championship Game. In doing so, he became the first Dutch born men's ice hockey student-athlete to play in the national semifinal tournament.

For his career, Dalhuisen scored 12 goals while assisting on 26 more for 38 career points.This past season, Dalhuisen led all Quinnipiac defensemen with eight goals, which was also a career-high. In addition, Dalhuisen assisted on eight goals for a career-best 16 points.

In addition, Dalhuisen was second in ECAC Hockey and tied for seventh in NCAA Division I ice hockey in plus/minus (+21). His first goal of the year came against American International, while also scoring in a 5-2 win at Clarkson. Dalhuisen followed with the game-tying goal against UMass. A week later, he posted his first two-goal game against Princeton in a 3-0 win.

In Quinnipiac's NCAA-best 21-game unbeaten streak, he also had a pair of one-goal, one-assist outings against Harvard and Union and also scored in the Bobcats' 6-2 romp of Yale. Down the stretch, he set-up two goals in a 4-1 win at Dartmouth and also assisted on Jordan Samuels-Thomas' game-tying goal against Canisius in the NCAA Tournament East Regional.