Center Chris Culligan Signs Amateur Tryout with Texas Stars

(Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars)

Center Chris Culligan has been signed as the Texas Stars' first amateur tryout of the 2013-14 season. The 25-year old center just finished four seasons in New Brunswick with UNB. Prior to that, he was with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles for five years. Culligan has been a point per game player everywhere he's played since 2007.

He broke the story himself on Twitter:

Off to Austin, Texas tomorrow on an amateur tryout. Can't be that different from Howie Center, Nova Scotia can it? Should be fun either way
— Chris Culligan (@culli57) March 10, 2014

There is no official confirmation from the Texas Stars at this time. Amateur tryout players are eligible to play in all remaining games and the Calder Cup playoffs regardless of their status at the NHL trade deadline.

Note that this contract was signed on Sunday, which was before last night's game in Dallas. The signing was not a result of those events.

Here are his career stats from HockeyDB.

Here is the official release:

The Texas Stars, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced today that the club has signed center Chris Culligan to an amateur tryout contract.

Culligan, 25, recently completed his fifth season of CIS hockey for the University of New Brunswick of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference. The Sydney, Nova Scotia native was the team captain for the Varsity Reds, recording 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) and 16 penalty minutes in 28 regular season games. Culligan was named to the 2013-14 AUS First Team All-Stars, ranking second in the conference in goals and plus-minus (+21), while finishing fourth in assists and points. He also won the Don Wells Trophy for the second consecutive season, as the AUS’ most sportsmanlike player. In five seasons at UNB, Culligan piled up 171 points (54 goals, 117 assists) and 110 penalty minutes in 133 career CIS games. Prior to his collegiate career, Culligan played five seasons of major junior hockey for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL. He amassed 284 points (87 goals, 197 points) and 213 penalty minutes in 317 career QMJHL games.