The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed 6'2'', 205-pound defenseman Blake Kessel to an entry level contract, according to general manager Paul Holmgren.

Kessel (22, 4/13/89) spent last season with the University of New Hampshire of the Hockey East Conference in the NCAA where he recorded five goals and 22 assists for 27 points in 39 regular season games.

He was named Hockey East First All-Star Team and NCAA East First All-American Team in 2010-11.

He played the last three seasons at UNH, the first of which was as a teammate of Flyers left wing James van Riemsdyk.

A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Kessel also played two seasons for Waterloo in the USHL, the second of which saw him post 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 59 games.

Kessel was originally drafted in the sixth round (166th overall) by the New York Islanders in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.