Zach Sanford and the Washington Capitals have agreed on a three-year contract which will bring the former Waterloo Black Hawks skater to the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners three years after his selection in the NHL Draft.

The deal announced Monday will result in Sanford foregoing his final two seasons of eligibility at Boston College. Earlier this summer, his Eagles teammate and fellow Waterloo alumnus Ian McCoshen also signed an NHL contract, joining the Florida Panthers. Sanford and McCoshen were both selected in the second round of the 2013 Draft, with the 61st and the 31st overall picks respectively.

After being drafted by Washington, Sanford joined the Black Hawks for the 2013/14 season, helping Waterloo to the United States Hockey League’s Anderson Cup with a club record 93 standings points. He notched 17 goals and 18 assists in 52 regular season games, also recording a +15 plus/minus differential. During the dozen Clark Cup playoff games which followed, Sanford averaged a point-per-contest with five goals and seven assists. His postseason point total was fifth-highest on the squad.

As an Eagle over the last two seasons, Sanford registered 63 points in 79 career NCAA games. That includes a nearly point-per-game pace last winter (39 points in 41 games) en route to finishing third in team scoring. Boston College reached the 2016 Frozen Four after winning the Hockey East regular season conference championship.

Upon his regular season debut with Washington, Sanford will be the fifth Black Hawk to advance from Waterloo to Washington. The most recent member of the group was Patrick Wey, who also played at Boston College as part of his development. Chris Ferraro, Peter Ferraro, and John Gruden each were members of both the Black Hawks and Capitals.

In 2015/16, four Hawks alumni who appeared in at least one NHL game: Joe Pavelski (San Jose Sharks), Craig Smith (Nashville Predators), J.T. Brown (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Vince Hinostroza (Chicago Blackhawks).

Contributed By: Tim Harwood (Waterloo Black Hawks Media Relations)

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