Former Merritt Centennials forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel is one step closer to playing in the National Hockey League, signing an amateur tryout agreement with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins that could soon lead to a professional contract with Pittsburgh, which selected the Ashcroft, BC product in the third round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Pierro-Zabotel was one of the BCHL's leading scorers during his draft season, notching 116 points in 55 games with the Centennials. He was poised to begin his NCAA career at Michigan Tech in September, but an eligibility delay caused him to return to Merritt where his continued offensive production caught the attention of the WHL's Vancouver Giants.
The 19-year-old centre adjusted quickly to Major Junior hockey, scoring 19 goals and 29 assists in 49 regular season games on one of Vancouver's stop lines.
Pierro-Zabotel will now report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he will train with the AHL squad. Should he impress during that stint, he could sign a professional contract with Pittsburgh later this month.
