Mar. 29—MANKATO — Minnesota State junior defensemen Akito Hirose and Jake Livingstone each agreed to entry-level NHL contracts Wednesday.
Hirose signed with the Vancouver Canucks, while Livingstone reached a deal with the Nashville Predators.
Livingstone, the two-time defending CCHA Defenseman of the Year, finished 2022-23 with 35 points (8-27—35). His 35 assists and 53 blocked shots each led the team. In 111 games, Livingstone finished with 80 career points (21-59—80).
Hirose, a second-team All-CCHA pick this season, had 27 points (4-23—27). In 104 career games, he ended up with 68 career points (7-61—68). Hirose, who finished his career at +53, was the WCHA Rookie of the Year in 2020-21.
During the careers of Hirose and Livingstone, MSU went 85-24-2. The Mavericks won three MacNaughton Cups, two CCHA Tournament championships and qualified for three NCAA Tournaments in their tenures. Both were key parts of Frozen Four teams in 2021 and 2022 and played in the 2022 national championship game.