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Flames sign free agent defenseman Josh Healey

Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Championship

ST PAUL, MN - MARCH 22: Jedd Soleway #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers checks Josh Healey #47 of the Ohio State Buckeyes into the boards during the third period of the Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Championship game on March 22, 2014 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

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The Calgary Flames announced on Saturday that they have signed undrafted free agent defenseman Josh Healey to a two-year entry level contract. He will join the Stockton Heat of the AHL for the remainder of this season on an Amateur Tryout contract before his entry level deal begins next season.

Healey, 22, has spent the past four seasons playing for Ohio State and has developed a reputation for being one of the biggest hitters and most physical players at the NCAA level.

“Hits too hard for college,” is how one NHL scout described his play back in February.

That style of play has resulted in him getting himself into hot some water in the form of several ejections and suspensions over the past two seasons.

Along with his willingness to play a physical game, Healey’s offensive game took off a bit during his junior and senior seasons, including the 2016-17 season when he finished as the top scoring defenseman on the Buckeyes with 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 35 games.

In 133 games over four years at Ohio State he has accumulated 212 penalty minutes, leading the team by a pretty wide margin the past two years.