<p>‘Tis the season of college free agent signings.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/tampa-bay-lightning/line-combinations">Tampa Bay Lightning </a>vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced they have signed Connor Kurth to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have signed forward Connor Kurth to a two-year, entry-level NHL contract beginning with the 2025-26 season. <br><br>📝: <a href="https://t.co/2Qh2M8Cb2O">https://t.co/2Qh2M8Cb2O</a> <a href="https://t.co/QWVudEIsIx">pic.twitter.com/QWVudEIsIx</a></p>— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBLightning/status/1906428955298840990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<p>Kurth will report to the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, on an AHL Tryout contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Tampa Bay originally drafted him in the sixth round, No. 192 overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft.</p>



<p>Kurth spent the 2024-25 campaign with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he racked up 18 goals and 39 points with a team-leading four game-winning goals. He led the Gophers skaters in plus-minus with a plus-31 rating, tied for third among all NCAA skaters.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="139"></div>



<p>The Lindstrom, Minnesota, native&nbsp;ranked first for plus/minus, second for goals and tied for second for points among all Golden Gophers skaters. In 2022-23, he helped the club capture the B1G Regular Season Championship.</p>



<p>Throughout his NCAA career, Kurth racked up 32 goals and 71 points in 115 games with the Golden Gophers.</p>



<p>Prior to his NCAA tenure, Kurth spent two seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. During the 2021-22 campaign, he amassed 35 goals and 46 assists for 81 points in 62 games, earning him the USHL Junior Player of the Year and a USHL Second-Team All-Star nod.</p>
