November 15, 2010

McCutcheon Leaves Norway for Germany

Former Cornell standout Mark McCutcheon has left Vålerenga (Norway) to join the DEG Metro Stars (Germany), VIF's sporting director Jan Tore Kjär announced Monday. McCutcheon signed with Vålerenga in August 2010.

McCutcheon has enjoyed a tremendous start to the 2010-11 campaign, amassing a League-best 11 goals and 12 assists in 16 games with  Vålerenga.

“(Mark) got a great offer from Germany and it is not surprising given his performance here in Vålerenga,” said Jan Tore Kjär. “We had not the heart to stand in the way of a young hockey player who wants to continue.

McCutcheon split the 2009-10 campaign between the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and American Hockey League (AHL), playing 34 games with the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads, and 17 AHL games with the Portland Pirates and Manitoba Moose. He amassed 46 points, including 14 goals, in 34 games with Idaho, and two goals in five games with Portland.

McCutcheon played in 145 career games in the AHL in three seasons with Portland, Lake Erie and Manitoba where he totaled 28 points (10g & 18a). McCutcheon had his best season in 2008-09 with the Monsters when he collected 17 points (6g & 11a) in 65 games.

McCutcheon, who was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round, 146th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, played in 115 collegiate contests with the Big Red. He scored 19 goals and assisted on 25 tallies.