From the U of M release, with Don Lucia’s rather terse statement in bold:

University of Minnesota sophomore Kyle Okposo has chosen to forgo the remainder of the 2007-08 season and his career with the Golden Gophers to sign a contract with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. Okposo was the Islanders’  first-round draft choice and the seventh player taken overall in the 2006 entry draft. He is the eighth Minnesota player to leave college early for the professional ranks since the end of the 2005-06 season. Okposo is departing today for the Czech Republic as a member of the United States’  under-20 national team that is competing at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championships and will join the Islanders following the tournament. “While I’m disappointed Kyle is leaving at this point of the season, his dream has been to play pro hockey,”  Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. ” It is unfortunate that the Islanders put him in a very difficult position. I think our team has made strides the last few weeks and I’ m looking forward to the second half of the season.”

Start making other plans for late March, Gophers hockey fans. Jon, try to hold back the tears.

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