Quinnipiac’s K.J. Tiefenwerth, left, looks back at the puck over his shoulder after losing it to University of Maine’s Cam Brown during their game at Alfond Arena in Oct. 2016.

Former University of Maine men’s hockey captain Cam Brown has signed a contract with the ECHL’s Wheeling (West Virginia) Nailers, the organization announced Wednesday.

The Nailers are an affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 24-year-old native of Natick, Massachusetts, made his professional debut last spring with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, joining that team for the end of the regular season and the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs.

The ECHL will field a team in Portland beginning with the 2018-2019 season.

Brown recorded two goals and five assists in nine regular-season contests and had three assists in four playoff games.

“I am ecstatic to be part of the organization and get the year rolling,” Brown said in a news release. “I am dependable in the defensive zone, I create opportunities in the offensive zone, and my quickness is one of my best attributes. It was a really cool experience getting to play with Adirondack at the end of the year and in the playoffs. I got my first taste of the league and the level, and it taught me the importance of preparing.”

The gritty, 5-foot-7 inch Brown accumulated 39 points (4 and 35) for the Black Bears last season, finishing with 106 points (23 and 83) in his four-year career.

“Cam Brown came out of college, and played well in Adirondack, making an immediate impact on their team as they went to the playoffs,” Nailers coach Jeff Christian said in a news release. “Cam is a gritty, playmaking forward with lots of speed, who can grind, and will work hard down low. He served as team captain at Maine, he’s really sharp, and mature as well.”

Brown’s UMaine classmate, Blaine Byron, who led the Bears with 41 points (18 and 23) last season, was drafted by Pittsburgh but did not sign with the organization after finishing his UMaine career, making him a free agent.

As of Tuesday, Byron was free to sign with any NHL organization, but remained unsigned as of Thursday afternoon.

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