College Prospects Livanavage, Wiebe, James Turn Pro to AHL Teams

Less than 24 hours after North Dakota's Frozen Four run ended in a 2-1 loss to Wisconsin, three Fighting Hawks prospects inked entry-level contracts and began their professional careers, each landing in AHL situations with genuine playoff urgency attached.

Jake Livanavage, the undrafted junior defenseman from UND, signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday morning, with the expectation that he will ultimately serve the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins down the stretch. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound blueliner logged over 25 minutes per game for North Dakota this season, finishing with five goals and 20 assists for 25 points. He earned All-America West First Team recognition Friday evening in Las Vegas, becoming only the second UND defenseman this century to earn multiple All-America selections. His $975,000 prorated cap hit reflects both the organization's confidence in his long-term ceiling and the value of deploying an experienced, high-ice-time defenseman in a playoff race. In his first five games, watch whether WBS deploys Livanavage on the power play immediately; his vision and offensive instincts from the blue line are his calling cards, and a team hunting playoff positioning cannot afford to leave that skill set idle. Pace adjustment will be the primary variable; his 25-plus collegiate minutes made him an efficient puck-mover, but AHL transition speed will test his gaps.

Abram Wiebe, the 6-foot-3 junior defenseman from Mission, B.C., signed a two-year deal with the Calgary Flames carrying an AAV of $950,000. Calgary acquired his signing rights from Vegas on January 18, and the organization wasted little time once his college eligibility expired. Wiebe appeared in all 118 games across his three seasons at North Dakota, and this year he finished with five goals, 24 assists, a plus-13 rating, and second-team all-NCHC honors in 39 games. He also represented the U.S. Collegiate Selects at the Spengler Cup in Davos in December. While initial reports suggest Wiebe may debut directly at the NHL level in Seattle, the Calgary Wranglers stand to benefit from his presence as the season compresses. His retrievals and corner battle numbers at UND projected him as a physically responsible defender with offensive upside. In his first five AHL assignments, the key evaluation point will be whether his frame and competitive habits translate against pro forwards who win battles differently than college opponents.

Dylan James represents the most intriguing of the three for AHL purposes. The 22-year-old Calgary-born forward, selected by Detroit in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, concluded his senior season at North Dakota with 21 goals and 10 assists for 31 points in 39 games, all career highs. Over four seasons, he totaled 52 goals and 88 points in 153 games. Insider Frank Seravalli reported James is expected to join the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit's AHL affiliate, following the Frozen Four. The Griffins have dealt with injuries and NHL call-ups that have disrupted their roster depth, and a proven college scorer arriving with playoff heat already built in could slot into a scoring-line role or power-play unit immediately. In his first five games, the evaluation question for Grand Rapids is pace and shot creation: James has the goal-scoring instincts and the college production to justify top-six usage, but whether Detroit trusts him in meaningful playoff minutes will depend on how quickly he adjusts to the pro game's structural demands.

All three players finished their college careers on the same ice, losing to Wisconsin in the same Frozen Four semifinal. By Saturday, all three were chasing a different kind of championship.