Caedan Bankier with the Wild at last September's training camp (Image Credit: Minnesota Wild)
CAEDAN BANKIER

Blazers’ Bankier knows he has work ahead after first contract with Wild

Mar 2, 2023 | 3:48 PM

KAMLOOPS — After signing his first pro hockey contract, Caedan Bankier can’t wait to see what the future holds with the Minnesota Wild, who signed him to a three-year entry level contract earlier this week.

Bankier signed a three-year, $2.775 million contract with the Wild, coming after years of hard work and being drafted 86th overall by Minnesota in 2021.

“Pretty happy with the way it turned out. Obviously a great organization in Minnesota and it’s a life-long childhood dream to get a pro contract. I don’t know if it’s fully hit me yet,” Bankier told CFJC Today before practice on Thursday. “Still got to go there and work hard and keep proving they made the right decision. I’m never satisfied. You want to keep becoming the best player and person you can be and I’m going to try and go back there and prove it to them.”

With the contract comes a $92,000 signing bonus for each of the three seasons. He doesn’t quite know how he’s going to spend the money.

“I haven’t decided yet. I haven’t thought about [the money]. That’s one of the first times I’ve really thought about it, so I guess I’ll have to run it by my parents and we’ll see how that goes,” he said. “I’ll probably get them something, all those years they paid for all my hockey and all the travelling. Probably get them something and my brother as well.”

Bankier has 30 goals and 32 assists in 44 games this season with the Blazers.