Whalers captain Terry inks with Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes announced Friday that the team has agreed to terms with forward Chris Terry on a three-year, entry-level contract.

The deal will pay Terry $60,000 at the minor-league level and $500,000 at the NHL level during the first year, and $65,000 per year in the minors and $550,000 per year at the NHL level during the second and third years of the contract. Terry will also receive a $225,000 signing bonus as a part of the contract.

“Chris had an excellent junior career with Plymouth where he posted impressive offensive numbers,” said Carolina assistant GM Jason Karmanos. “He has shown that he can be a leader on and off the ice and we look forward to him beginning his professional career.”

Terry, 20, finished 2008-09 as the Ontario Hockey League’s second-leading scorer with 94 points (39 goals, 55 assists) while playing in 53 of 68 games as the captain of the Whalers. He was awarded the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s Humanitarian of the Year for his devotion to the Whalers’ Community Relations efforts and he was the inaugural recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy, given by the OHL to the captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice.

The Brampton, Ont., native totaled 114 goals and 175 assists (289 points) in 253 regular-season contests in his four seasons with the Whalers. Terry (5-10, 190) competed in two OHL All-Star Classics, was named the Kal Tire OHL Player of the Month two times and helped lead the Whalers to the OHL championship in 2007.

The Hurricanes drafted Terry in the fifth round, 132nd overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Photo courtesy Walt Dmoch