June 10, 2016
Loik Joins EHC Linz | Varley Signs with Manchester Storm
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Penn State men's hockey graduates Curtis Loik (North Vancouver, British Columbia) and Connor Varley (Lansdale, Pa.) signed professional deals to play with European teams for the 2016-17 season.
Loik signed with EHC Linz Black Wings of the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga based out of Austria on May 28. The league also includes teams from Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Italy with the Black Wings two-time winners (2003, 2012).
Loik posted a career-high 20 points in 34 appearances last season on seven goals and 13 assists. The left-winger ranks in Penn State's varsity top 10 for goals (25, 6th), assists (31, 9th) and points (56, 7th) in 124 appearances, which ranks second all-time at Penn State.
Varley signed his contact with the Manchester Storm on Friday morning. The Storm compete in the United Kingdom's Elite Ice Hockey League and are currently in their second season.
Varley made a career-high 34 appearances this season, posted a plus-5 rating and tallied seven points on two goals and five assists. For his career, Varley ranks in the top three among career Penn State defensemen in points (31, 2nd), goals (8, T-2nd) and assists (23, T-2nd). His 119 games played are fifth all-time for the Nittany Lions, while ranking fourth in penalties (39) and third in penalty minutes (100).
Loik and Varley, respectively, are the fifth and sixth members of the 2015-16 squad to sign professional contracts since the season ended. Eamon McAdam signed a three-year deal with the New York Islanders and played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this spring where he was joined by Luke Juha during his amateur tryout agreement.
Eric Scheid played three games for the Portland Pirates in the AHL on an ATO and Matthew Skoff had two appearances with the ECHL's Reading Royals.
The Nittany Lions went 21-13-4 in 2015-16 setting numerous records for victories and scoring, while finishing in a program-best third place in the Big Ten with a 10-9-1-1 mark. Penn State has announced its 34-game regular-season schedule, which includes a fifth straight trip to Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. Tickets for that game went on sale earlier today.