March 19, 2009

Henningson Joins Lock Monsters

HAMDEN, Conn. -- Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey senior captain Dan Henningson (Edmonton, Alb.) has signed with the Lake Erie (Ohio) Monsters of the American Hockey League and will report to the team immediately. Lake Erie is the top AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche.

“This is a great achievement for Dan,” Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Rand Pecknold said. “I wish him well. He was a competitive player and a great captain. Lake Erie and the Colorado Avalanche will benefit from a player of his caliber who will bring a great work ethic every night.”

Henningson’s signing with Lake Erie comes after a four-year career in which Quinnipiac competed for the ECAC Hockey Championship in 2006-07 and also advanced to the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons. Henningson finished his career ranked sixth in defenseman points (67) and fourth in defenseman assists (55). He scored a career-high six goals in 2008-09, doubling his career total. In addition, he is one of five players in Quinnipiac history to play in 150 games.

“Dan is a guy that our scouts have been watching closely the last couple of seasons,” Lake Erie General Manager David Oliver said. “His senior year didn't end the way he had hoped but now he gets an opportunity to come in and show our organization what he can do at the AHL level.”

Throughout his career, Henningson consistently ranked among the ECAC Hockey leaders in defensemen points and assists. He has also been part of the Quinnipiac power play that has ranked among the national leaders throughout his career.

Henningson is the third Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey player to sign with an AHL club in the last three years, joining former All-American Reid Cashman (’07), who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins organizations, and Jamie Bates, who signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Edmonton Oilers organizations.