By Jared Shafran, News Staff
Another former Husky will be looking to make his way up the ranks of professional hockey.
The Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League (AHL) announced they signed former Northeastern defenseman Louis Liotti to a minor league contract May 21. He becomes the third former Husky from the 2008-09 team to sign a professional contract. Former goaltender Brad Thiessen and former forward Joe Vitale signed contracts with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization April 3.
Liotti, a four-year starter for the Huskies, is an all-around defenseman who served as an assistant captain for two years. He played 146 games in a Northeastern uniform, the most in school history. In his final three seasons with NU, Liotti was a plus-26.
‘Louis will be a great addition to our organization and we are looking forward to continuing his development as a professional hockey player,’ Sharks General Manager Wayne Thomas said in a statement.
In his senior season, Liotti was named Hockey East Best Defensive Defensemen, only the second player in school history to receive the distinction. He was also a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, which is given annually to the best American-born Division I hockey player in New England. The Huskies won 25 games and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994.
Thomas said he is optimistic about the situations Liotti can be used in and gave credit to NU coaches for his improved play over his college career.
Liotti graduated in May with a degree in business management.
‘Louis is an excellent defensive defenseman that can play in key situations,’ Thomas said in a statement. ‘We praise the job that Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin and his staff have done to further Louis’s career and congratulate them on an outstanding year.’
Another highlight for Liotti was when he scored two goals in a win against Maine at Matthews Arena in December. The second of his goals was the game winner, which came in overtime to give NU a 3-2 win. He was later named Hockey East Player of the week.
As a junior, Liotti scored the game-winning goal for NU in the Badger Hockey Showdown, defeating Bowling Green 4-3 Dec. 28, 2007. At the conclusion of the tournament he was named to the All-Tournament team.
Originally from Westbury, N.Y., Liotti was a defenseman for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) before coming to Northeastern. He was the captain of the team that had a 37-17-6 record and won the Western Conference Championship.
