Diotte, Szturc put pen to paper on ELC contracts
The Drummondville Voltigeurs’ Mikael Diotte and the Kelowna Rockets’ Gabriel Szturc have signed three-year entry-level contracts.
As available free agents, Diotte signed with New Jersey while Szturc inked a deal with Tampa Bay.
Diotte is in his fifth and final year with the Volts where he’s established new career highs in goals (10) and points (37) from Drummondville’s blue line. A second round pick in the 2019 QMJHL Draft, Diotte has spent his entire Q career with Drummondville where he’s appeared in 198 games, the 17th most ever by a Volts d-man.
A native of Czechia, Szturc is in his third season with Kelowna. The overage forward has a career high 27 goals this year while he sits third in team scoring with 68 points. The 44th overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft, Szturc has suited up 177 times for the Rockets and has tallied 188 points, the most by a European skater in team history.
In January 2023, Szturc was named the 28th captain in Rockets history and became the first European to wear the ‘C’.
Szturc was also a member of Czechia’s World Juniors squad that won silver in 2023.