Blair Riley Begins Professional Career With Springfield Falcons

A third member of the nationally-ranked 2009-10 Ferris State University men's ice hockey team has joined the professional ranks as forward Blair Riley (Kamloops, British Columbia) has signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) contract with the American Hockey League's (AHL) Springfield (Mass.) Falcons.

Riley joins right wing Cody Chupp (Big Rapids) and defenseman Matt Case (Plymouth, Minn.) to ink with AHL teams as his fellow two senior teammates are currently skating for the Texas Stars and Norfolk Admirals, respectively.

This season, Riley paced Ferris State in scoring with 38 points on 18 goals and 20 assists in 40 contests which were also career single-season highs.  He also generated nine multiple-point games while tallying four power-play goals, two short-handed lamplighters, and two game-winning markers to go with a plus 12 efficiency rating.

The FSU skater played a pivotal role this season in helping the Bulldogs post a 21-13-6 overall record and a third-place finish in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) with a 13-9-6-4 mark (49 league points).  Ferris State's 21 victories for the 2009-10 campaign represents a tied for the fourth most in the program's history.  The Bulldogs also made their first appearance in the CCHA Championships this season since the 2002-03 season and wrapped up the campaign with a 13th-place national ranking in U.S. College Hockey Online.com's final poll. 

Riley concluded his four-year (2006-10) Bulldog career with 42 goals and 45 assists for 87 points in 147 outings.  The 6-0, 220-pound left wing produced 15 power-play goals, two short-handed tallies, and four game-winning lamplighters during his collegiate career.  He presently ranks tied for 26th place among Ferris' career leaders in games played (147), tied for 29th in goals (42), and tied for 38th place in points (87).  

Springfield is an affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Edmonton Oilers.  The Falcons, under first-year head coach Rob Daum, have presently compiled a 24-36-11-4 (63 points) in the Atlantic Division of the AHL's Eastern Conference.