McClellan Signs First Professional Contract

MADISON, Wis. – Hobey Baker Memorial Award top-10 finalist and Mike Richter Award top-3 finalist Kyle McClellan is turning pro and signed an amatuer tryout contract with the AHL's Iowa Wild, the organization announced on Monday. He also signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract for the 2024-25 campaign.

McClellan, who recently completed his senior year for the Badgers, produced one of the all-time great goaltending seasons for Wisconsin, winning 24 games, posting national-bests with a .931 save percentage and seven shutouts, while ranking second with a 1.94 goals-against average.

Twice during the season, McClellan posted consecutive shutouts, including in UW's season-opening sweep over Augustana, and then again at the 2024 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off in games against Air Force and Northeastern.

McClellan backstopped the Badgers to a 13-game improvement, a second-place finish in the Big Ten and an NCAA tournament berth in his lone season as UW's No. 1 goaltender.

The Manchester, Missouri, native skated his first two years at Mercyhurst, before joining the Badgers for his junior year in 2022-23.

UW's first goalie named to the All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, McClellan also earned the Hockey Commissioners Association's National Goaltender of the Month for December, the 2024 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Most Outstanding Goaltender and a league-best five Big Ten Stars of the Week.