UConn men’s hockey’s Vladislav Firstov signs entry-level contract with Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have signed junior UConn forward Vladislav Firstov to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2022-23 season, which means his career with the Huskies is officially over. He will join the Iowa Wild, the club’s AHL affiliate, on an amateur tryout (ATO) for the rest of the current campaign.

The Wild selected Firstov in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft (42nd overall). Over his three years in Storrs, Firstov tallied 26 goals, 32 assists and 58 points in 82 career games. Though he dealt with inconsistency throughout his career at UConn, the Yaroslavl, Russia native played some of his best hockey down the stretch this past season, scoring the opening goal in the Huskies’ three postseason contests and earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Tournament team.

Firstov departs with the sixth-most goals and 10th-most points in the program’s Hockey East Era. He’s the third player to officially leave the team this offseason, joining Jachym Kondelik, who signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators; and Cassidy Bowes, who entered the transfer portal.