Penguins sign Bellerive as undrafted free agent
Martin Jones and Jordy Bellerive have something more in common now besides being North Shore Winter Club minor hockey products and Billy Coupland fans.
Jones is the San Jose Sharks’ No. 1 netminder. Bellerive, a centre, signed a three-year entry-level deal Saturday with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a non-drafted free agent after being passed over in June’s NHL Entry Draft following a solid second season with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.
And Coupland? He’s a longtime minor hockey bench boss at NSWC. He coached Jones in bantam and Bellerive in peewee. He also runs on-ice sessions in the summer in North Vancouver for pros and high-end juniors. Both Jones and Bellerive have been frequent participants.
This summer, Coupland hammered home to Bellerive about how Jones, who was with the Calgary Hitmen at the time, went to the Los Angeles Kings’ training camp in 2008 as a free agent after being passed over in the draft and ended up signing a free-agent deal.
Bellerive, an 18-year-old, 5-10, 194-pound left-handed shot, remains at the Penguins’ main camp. He has to be re-assigned to Lethbridge if he doesn’t stick with Pittsburgh. Players can’t be regulars in minor pro until they are 20.
Jones, now 27, played two more seasons with the Hitmen after signing with the Kings. Joe Hicketts, 21, a defenceman from Kamloops also mentioned by Bellerive as an inspiration going to Penguins camp, spent two seasons with the Victoria Royals after inking a freeagent deal with the Detroit Red Wings in September 2014.
Bellerive had posted 27 goals and 56 points in 70 regular-season games with Lethbridge in 201617, followed by seven goals and 14 points in 20 playoff matchups.
“Pittsburgh was my favourite team growing up. They’ve won back-to-back Stanley Cups. It was an easy decision (to sign).”
Bellerive led the Penguins in scoring during the Sept. 8-11 Prospects Challenge tournament in Buffalo, with seven points in three games, including four goals.