Providence Netminder Gillies Signs with Calgary Flames

Jon Gillies went out on top in the college game. Now he’ll try his hand in the NHL after foregoing his senior season to go pro.

The Providence College junior goaltender, who backstopped the Friars to their first-ever national championship this season, has signed with the Calgary Flames, who drafted him in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, according to the Calgary Sun.

“There's a real poise to him," said Flames GM Brad Treliving of Gillies. "He has a mature game. As big as he is, as athletic as he is, there's a quiet maturity to his game. He's not somebody who over-works or overdoes it in terms of his movements."

Calgary confirmed the deal later on at its website. It was not immediately clear if Gillies would be  assigned to the Flames as they begin their Stanley Cup playoff run tonight in Vancouver. He was shown in Flames gear later on, in a photo posted to Instagram.

Gillies also spoke about the deal on the Flames' Twitter account:

"When you play for an organization like this and have this logo on your sweater ... It's amazing."

— Jon Gillies (@NHLFlames) April 15, 2015

Gillies made 49 saves in Providence’s 4-3 NCAA title game victory over Hockey East rival Boston University at TD Garden in Boston on April 11. It was the first national title game the Friars had appeared in since 1985, when they fell to Rensselaer in Detroit.

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Gillies had earlier guided the Friars to NCAA Tournament wins this spring over Miami (Ohio), Denver and (Nebraska) Omaha. He was ultimately named the NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player following the championship game win over BU, and stopped 126 of 136 shots in four national tournament games.

A three-year starter at Providence, Gillies had originally committed to Northeastern University while playing for the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League. He compiled a record of 46-17-11 with six shutouts in two junior ‘A’ seasons with the Ice, according to hockeydb.com. He also started for the U.S. at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Malmö, Sweden, and was the 2012-13 Hockey East Rookie of the Year.

A 6-foot-5, 215-pound native of South Portland, Maine, Gillies, 21, spent the last three seasons backstopping the Friars, with whom he went 24-13-2 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .930 save percentage and five shutouts in 39 appearances as a junior. He finished in the top 10 in the nation in both GAA and save percentage this year, according to USCHO.com, and completed his college career with a 60-34-13 record in 108 outings (2.01, .938, 15 SO).

“It has been an indescribable honor to wear the Friar jersey and represent Providence College for the past three years,” said Gillies at USCHO.com. “I am forever a Friar and that makes me one of the luckiest people in the world.”

The Flames are hoping for similar results.