Canisius forward Dave Kostuch will forgo his final two seasons of eligibility after agreeing to a contract with MKS Cracovia Krakow of the Polish Elite League.
Kostuch, the 2009 Atlantic Hockey rookie of the year, graduated earlier this month.
“I’m extremely happy in taking the next step and playing professional hockey,” Kostuch said in a statement. “As a hockey player, you work very hard on and off the ice to reach a certain point and with this next step, I am one step closer to reaching a final goal.”
Kostuch, who holds dual citizenship in Canada and Poland, had 15 goals and 12 assists in 35 games last season.
“Dave will be missed greatly by our hockey program, both on and off the ice,” Canisius coach Dave Smith said. “While our goal is to graduate students and develop professional hockey players, we never anticipated him being done in two years. That is proof of how dedicated and committed Dave is to being a great student and a hockey player. He was very focused on graduating first and then getting on to his professional career. Everyone at Canisius wishes him the best in his next endeavor.”
