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Former Vees ink deals with the Sharks and Oilers

Joel Rumpel joins the San Jose Sharks, while Joey LaLeggia signs with the Edmonton Oilers

Former Penticton Vees Joel Rumpel and Joey LaLeggia signed their names on the dotted line with NHL teams.

Rumpel has signed with the San Jose Sharks after his career with the Wisconsin Badgers ended.

The Badgers reported that Rumpel signed a one-year standard entry-level contract will report to the AHL's Worcester Sharks.

The 6-3 and 190-pound goaltender recently completed his Wisconsin playing career with numbers that rank among the best in program history. A 2014 Hobey Baker Memorial Award and Mike Richter Award finalist, Rumpel ranks second in school history with 10 career shutouts, third with a .918 save percentage, fourth with 115 appearances, 6,745 minutes played and 3,176 saves, fifth with 53 victories and sixth with a 2.51 goals-against average. He also allowed two goals or less in 57 of his career starts. He set personal career standards this past season with a 47-save shutout, the second most for a UW goaltender in school history, as well as in appearances (30), saves (958) and saves per game, 30.

Rumpel was also a 2015 nominee for the Hockey Humanitarian Award because of his extensive community service. Rumpel backstopped the Badgers to the inaugural Big Ten Tournament title in 2014, while earning Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five All-Tournament honours during the team's 2013 WCHA Final Five title run. He finished his career with eight conference player of the week honours and was twice an honourable mention pick for the Hockey Commissioners' Association Player of the Month honour during his four years.

Over two seasons with the Vees, Rumpel posted a career 46-15-3 record in the BCHL to go along with a .914 save percentage, 2.34 goals-against average and three shutouts.

The Edmonton Oilers announced on their website Tuesday that they signed LaLeggia to a two-year entry level contract.

The 22-year-old played in 37 games this season at the University of Denver in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. He recorded 40 points (15-25-40), 56 penalty minutes and a plus 14 rating. LaLeggia is a top 10 finalist for the 2015 Hobey Baker Award. He was named the NCHC player of the year, the NCHC defenceman of the year, as well as the offensive defenceman of the year. He was the NCHC defensive scoring champion by a margin of 13 points.

Pioneers head coach Jim Montgomery said, “he’s the most dominant player in the best conference in college hockey.”

LaLeggia, a native of Burnaby, accumulated 132 points (49-83-132) in 156 games over four seasons with the Pioneers. He helped his team reach the NCAA regional finals this season. The five-foot-10, 185-pound blueliner was selected by the Oilers in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft (123rd overall).

The BCHL had another of its alumni sign with an NHL team as former West Kelowna Warriors Grayson Downing inked with the Minnesota Wild from the University of New Hampshire and will head to AHL Iowa.