Last year, Gustav Olofsson left Colorado College early to sign an NHL contract.

This offseason, it’s Jaccob Slavin, who recently inked an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and will give up his last two years of NCAA eligibility.

A defenseman from Erie, Slavin led the Tigers in scoring as a freshman with 25 points and was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Rookie of the Year in 2013-14.

This past season, he earned First Team All-NCHC honors after tallying 17 points and leading the team with 70 blocked shots.

The Hurricanes selected Slavin in the fourth round (120^th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

“There was a lot that went into the decision (to leave CC early), but in the end and after a lot of discussion with family and praying about it, this was just the best thing for my development,” the 21-year-old Slavin said.

“Leaving CC will definitely be difficult. Being from Colorado, it was really nice to be close to home. The school is great and my teammates were amazing. I think the guys on the team and coaches will be what I miss most.”

Slavin spoke to CC head coach Mike Haviland after making his decision.

“He came from the professional ranks, so he’s used to seeing people move on and he was going to support me in whatever choice I made,” said Slavin.

And Slavin nothing but appreciative of all the guidance he’s received along the way.

“My parents (Robert and Wendi) were a huge help in all of this, so I owe a lot of thanks to them, but mostly God, who gave me the abilities I have to play this game and get me to the point where I am now,” said Slavin.

– Matt Mackinder