WALTHAM, Mass. – Former Bentley standout defenseman Steve Weinstein will make his AHL debut tonight for Springfield. He'll become the first player from the Bentley hockey program to play in the AHL.

The AHL is the league directly below the NHL. Springfield is affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Weinstein signed with the team on Monday and will be in the lineup tonight when they take on Worcester at the MassMutual Center.

Weinstein capped his four-year Bentley career, in which he played in 145 games, by being named Atlantic Hockey's 2014-15 Best Defenseman. He was twice named first team All-Conference following his junior and senior seasons, and was second team All-Conference after his sophomore season. As a junior he set a school single-season record for assists (37), and led the country in points per game among defensemen (1.03). Those numbers saw him be named one of three finalists for the Walter Brown Award.

He finished his career as the highest scoring defenseman since Bentley became a Division I program with 104 points (14g, 90a).