Jul. 1—GRAND FORKS — The contingent of former UND players in Ottawa is still going strong.
Jacob Bernard-Docker signed a two-year, $1.61 million contract with Ottawa hours before he was set to become a restricted free agent.
The contract is worth $785,000 in 2023-24 and $825,000 in 2024-25. It is a one-way deal, meaning Bernard-Docker will receive the same salary whether he’s in the NHL with Ottawa or the American Hockey League with Belleville.
“Jacob plays a simple and responsible puck-moving game,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. “He’s readily proved himself to be a reliable defender by playing on the penalty kill and in key matchup roles. We’ve been pleased to see him gradually improve throughout his time with the organization.”
Bernard-Docker has split time between the NHL and AHL since signing his first pro contract at the end of the 2020-21 season.
After playing three seasons with UND, he signed with Ottawa in the spring of 2021 and immediately jumped into the NHL for the final five games of the season.
In 2021-22, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-handed shooting defenseman played eight games with Ottawa and 58 with Belleville. Last season, Bernard-Docker played 19 with Ottawa and 41 with Belleville.
During his first three seasons as a pro, Bernard-Docker has played 32 NHL games, tallying two assists.
The 2018 first-round draft pick is one of four former Fighting Hawks who ended last season with Ottawa.
The others are forward Shane Pinto and defensemen Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven.
Pinto is a restricted free agent. The Senators sent the centerman a qualifying offer.
As of July 1, there are 20 former UND players under NHL contracts for 2022-23.
They are Bernard-Docker, Brock Boeser (Vancouver), Drake Caggiula (Edmonton), Judd Caulfield (Anaheim), Derek Forbort (Boston), Rhett Gardner (Philadelphia), Tyson Jost (Buffalo), Matt Kiersted (Florida), Kleven, Paul LaDue (N.Y. Islanders), Brad Malone (Edmonton), Zane McIntyre (Minnesota), Brock Nelson (Islanders), T.J. Oshie (Washington), Tucker Poolman (Vancouver), Sanderson, Nick Schmaltz (Arizona), Cole Smith (Nashville), Troy Stecher (Arizona) and Christian Wolanin (Vancouver).
There are 10 former Fighting Hawks who are unrestricted free agents after being on NHL contracts last season: forward Collin Adams, goalie Aaron Dell, forward Grant Mismash, forward Zach Parise, forward Austin Poganski, defenseman Colton Poolman, goalie Adam Scheel, forward Jonathan Toews and forward Jasper Weatherby.
