College Hockey Keeps Playing Minor League For The NHL

Okposo to leave U hockey program

Gophers star and former first-round pick Kyle Okposo is expected to sign with the New York Islanders.

Sophomore forward Kyle Okposo is leaving the Minnesota men's hockey team, a University athletics department spokesman confirmed this afternoon.

Coach Don Lucia is expected to release a statement around 4 p.m. today. He will offer no further comment, the spokesman said.

Okposo is expected to sign with the New York Islanders, who drafted him in the first-round, seventh overall, in the 2006 NHL entry draft.

A WCHA all-rookie team member last year tallying 30 points in 27 league games, Okposo this season had 11 points through Minnesota's first 18 games. That total was good for third on the team behind Blake Wheeler (15 points) and Ben Gordon (14).

In an exhibition tune-up for the U-20 World Junior Championships on Tuesday night against Western Michigan, Okposo scored a power-play goal helping the United States to a 4-2 victory. Calls to Okposo were not immediately returned.

This blows, when will the NCAA get it right, they need to force the NHL to use the same rules that the NFL uses, if a kid accepts a scholarship he should commit to the program for 3 years, not bail mid-season.