Undrafted to Wisconsin captain to a professional hockey player—it’s safe to say former Wisconsin defenseman Frankie Simonelli has had a unique journey. On Thursday it was announced that Simonelli was signed to a Professional Try Out contract with the Boston Bruins organization.
He will be assigned to the Providence Bruins, the AHL affiliate within the Boston organization. He is scheduled to play with the Providence team through next season.
Simonelli was a model of consistency while at Wisconsin, missing just two games in his career in the Cardinal and White, playing in 151 consecutive games to close out his career. He appeared in 155 games total—recording 16 goals, 45 assists and 63 points in his four years at Madison.
“Frankie is one of those players who good hockey people will appreciate what he brings to the table,” said Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves. “He does a lot of little things well as a defenseman. He and Jake McCabe led our team in the hard stats – hits, blocked shots, shots on net – and he knows how to play well without the puck. As a defenseman, that will be vital for him. He gives himself a good chance to show what he can do at the next level by having those things in his corner.”
He ended his career at Wisconsin as a second-team All-Big Ten performer this season, netting four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in conference play. Simonelli had six goals and 13 assists in all games for the 2013-14 season.
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