Mischler inks NHL deal
Date of Release: May 8, 2001

BOSTON, MA - Graig Mischler (Holbrook, NY), who completed his hockey career at NU this past season, signed a contract with the NHL's San Jose Sharks.

"I am very excited," said Mischler. "I think it is going to be a very good situation with San Jose and I am very encouraged by what I have seen and learned so far and excited to get going."

In 140 career games for the Huskies, Mischler had 34 goals, 74 assists for 108 points, tying him with Wayne Turner for 33rd on NU's all-time scoring list. The 6'3, 195 pound forward collected at least 20 points in all four seasons. In his junior season he led NU in points with 23. A consistent player throughout his time at NU, Mischler finished his career playing his best hockey. As a senior, he established career-highs in goals, assists and points, with a team-best 10-32-42 line. Through the month of January last season, Mischler was having a very solid season, with four goals and 16 assists in 24 games. But he exploded in the month of February with four goals and 15 assists in eight games, including two four-point games and two other outings with three points. He was named Hockey East Player of the Month for February. Mischler's 32 assists were the most by any player in Hockey East this past season and the most by a Husky since Mike Taylor had 46 in 1993-94. His 42 points were the most by an NU player since Jordon Shields had 43 in 1995-96.

Mischler was originally an eighth round draft choice of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, but was released by the Canucks last week.

"The Canucks were very good to me," said Mischler. "They told me they had four guys they wanted to sign but could only sign one, and it wasn't me. But instead of holding on to my rights throughout the summer, they released me to increase my options and San Jose called later that same night."

Mischler will report to mini-camp in San Jose in July and then to rookie camp with the Sharks in September.

As a member of the San Jose Sharks, Mischler knows in the future there is a chance he will be reunited with a pair of his NU teammates. Jim Fahey and Willie Levesque, who will both be seniors next season, were each drafted by the Sharks, Fahey in 1998 and Levesque in '99. "It is definitely something I thought about," said Mischler about the chances of again playing with either Fahey or Levesque. "I will follow them next season, and who knows, hopefully in the future we can be together and I will have a year under my belt and can help them out and see how it goes."

Before coming to Northeastern, Mischler attended Canterbury Prep, where he led Canterbury to the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Division I Championship in 1997.

Graig Mischler's career statistics              

                              OVERALL                         HOCKEY EAST
 Year         GP    G    A    P  PIM  PPG  SHG  GWG       GP    G    A    P  PIM  PPG  SHG  GWG
 1997-98      39    7   13   20   22    2    0    1       24    3    4    7   12    1    0    1
 1998-99      32    8   15   23   36    4    0    0       23    7   13   20   20    4    0    0
 1999-00      33    9   14   23   22    6    0    0       23    7   10   17   18    4    0    0
 2000-01      36   10   32   42   32    4    0    1       24    7   15   22   26    3    0    0
 Totals      140   34   74  108  112   16    0    2       94   24   42   66   76   12    0    1