The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have signed 6’2″, 210-pound free agent defenseman Nate Guenin to a two-year Entry Level contract, according to club Assistant General Manager Paul Holmgren. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed.
“Nate is a big, rugged defenseman with a right-handed shot,” said Holmgren in making the announcement. “We look for him to come into our system and hopefully develop into an NHL player. We really like his tenacity and grit. We think that he is a good young prospect and we are excited about having him as part of our organization.”
Guenin, 23, recorded 11 assists and 87 penalty minutes in 39 games for the Ohio State University Buckeyes last season. The senior captain led the team in penalty minutes for the fourth consecutive season and was tied for third on the team in assists. Guenin received honorable mention in the voting for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s All-Star Teams following the 2005-06 season. He was voted “Hardest-Hitting Defenseman” and “Best Defenseman One-on-One” in the CCHA Captains poll for the 2005-06 season. [.continue.]
Not a huge signing, but a pretty decent prospect. I expect him to play with the Phantoms for at least a year. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 4th round 127th overall in 2002, but never played in their organization.
This is what Pro Scout Evan Jansen said about Guenin on Hockeybird.com back in 2003.
Nate Guenin is well, nasty. He hits like a 18 wheeler and he makes tape to tape passes to get the rush started. Besides Tyutin, he is your best defensive prospect and I see him as a solid # 4 guy maybe even top 3.
Guenin played in The Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic on Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
He gave a pregame interview that can be heard here.
What hockeysfuture.com has to say about him.
While Guenin’s reputation as a rough and tough defenseman is well known, where he has shown marked improvement this season has been on the offensive side of his game. He has shown a willingness to jump up into the play and his puck skills continue to not only improve but has proved to be particularly effective in the area of outlet passes.
One of Guenin’s greatest attributes is his leadership ability, and he has been named the captain for the 2005-06 squad.