Doyle: Is Sam Lofquist OHL-bound?

Reports out of the University of Minnesota Monday evening indicate a defenceman could be on the market - with the OHL a possible destination.

Sam Lofquist has reportedly left the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The sophomore blueliner has missed some time with a foot injury this season, but was a healthy scratch this past weekend. He is a 1990-birth who hails from Wisconsin, making him OHL-eligible but has never been drafted by an OHL team. He played for the U.S. National Development Team in Ann Arbor, MI before heading to Minnesota last season where he scored four points in 35 games along with 30 penalty minutes. He was ranked 191st among North American skaters for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but was passed over by NHL clubs.

Lofquist attended London Knights camp in the fall of 2007 as a walk-on, but as of writing this it is unknown whether or not London may be his destination of choice if he decides to head to the Ontario Hockey League. He was also a teammate of many current OHLers during his time in Ann Arbor including:

Kenny Ryan, Cam Fowler (Windsor)
Jeremy Morin, Brandon Maxwell (Kitchener)
Beau Schmitz (Plymouth)
Bjorn Krupp (Belleville)

Stay tuned.

tdoyle@loosepucks.com