PITTSBURGH- The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel to athree-year entry-level contract through 2012, it was announced today byExecutive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero. Zabotel willreport to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American HockeyLeague (AHL).
Zabotel,20, led the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League with 115points (36 goals, 79 assists) along with a plus-62 rating in 72contests this season. He was awarded the Bob Clarke Trophy as theleading scorer in the WHL with 115 points and was named the WHL WesternConference Player of the Year.
The 6-2, 210 pound winger set team records for the Giants in assists(79) and points (115) and was also named team MVP for the 2008-09season. He notched 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 17 playoffappearances this season. Zabotel played two seasons of major juniorhockey with Vancouver tallying 163 points (55 goals, 108 assists) in121 games. He contributed 23 points in 27 playoff contests forVancouver.
Priorto joining Vancouver, the native of Kamloops, British Columbia playedthree seasons with the Merritt Centennials of the British ColumbiaHockey League (BCHL). Zabotel tallied 183 points (77 goals, 106assists) and 90 penalty minutes in 173 games in the BCHL.
Zabotel was selected by the Pittsburgh in the third round (80th overall) of the 2007 Entry Draft.
