ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell men's hockey player Sean Collins has signed a two-year contract with the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced Thursday.
 
Collins just completed a breakout senior season with the Big Red, finishing second on the team with career-high totals in goals (13) and points (26). One of two assistant captains on the squad, Collins and freshman linemates Joel Lowry and John McCarron played exclusively with each other in all of the Big Red's 35 games. Collins was a key contributor in power-play, even-strength and shorthanded situations, and was the team's leader in faceoffs with a 56.4 winning percentage.

"There have been so many ups and downs over the four years. You just dream about something like this," Collins said. "I'm just so proud and thankful of the Cornell coaches and all of my teammates."
 
Collins was selected by the Blue Jackets in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft prior to his arrival at Cornell. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native proved to be one of the Big Red's most durable players, playing 136 career games on East Hill. He was a regular part of the lineup immediately during his freshman season, when he played primarily on the wing and scored Cornell's lone goal in an NCAA Midwest Regional final against Bemidji State.

“It's great to see, because he's worked so hard to develop his game,” said Mike Schafer, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Men's Hockey at Cornell. “From his freshman to senior year, with all the time he's put in during the summer here, before practice and after practice, he's been fully committed to achieving that goal of signing a pro contract. I'm really excited for him. It was great to see him this morning with the smile on his face when he said he signed an NHL contract.”
 
After moving to his more natural position at center, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Collins progressively bumped up his point totals over the rest of his collegiate career. He continued his knack for production in big games, scoring the winning goal in an ECAC Hockey Championship consolation win over Colgate on March 17 — a game which would have eliminated the Big Red from NCAA contention if it had lost.
 
Collins then assisted on the first two goals of Cornell's 3-2 overtime victory over top-seeded Michigan in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal on March 23 — the second assist coming on a perfect saucer pass on a shorthanded two-on-one. Negotiations between Collins and the Blue Jackets started Sunday, the day after the Big Red was eliminated from NCAA contention by Ferris State, before concluding Wednesday night. He arrived in Springfield late Thursday afternoon.
 
“He's done a great job becoming more of a physical player, a more consistent player, and just mentally tougher,” Schafer said. “He's improved every aspect of his game. He's faster and he's stronger. I don't think there's an area of his game that he hasn't improved.”

Collins has been assigned to the Blue Jackets' American Hockey League affiliate, the Massachusetts-based Springfield Falcons. Springfield has eight games remaining in its regular-season schedule over the next three weeks and is currently five points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Collins is scheduled to make his professional debut Friday night against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. 

One of four members of the team's 2012 senior class, Collins is the first to sign a professional contract. All seven players who departed Cornell after the 2010-11 season ended up playing professionally this year.