Charlie Cerrato has inked a contract with Carolina.
The former Nittany Lion forward signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Hurricanes, the team announced Tuesday morning. He’ll make $775,000 in 2025-26, $850,000 in 2026-27 and $900,000 in 2027-28 if he remains in the NHL. If he plays in the AHL, he’ll receive $85,000 annually. His signing bonus is $220,000.
Earlier this spring, Cerrato signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Chicago Wolves — the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate — where he participated in one playoff game and recorded no points in a 2-0 loss. He was drafted by Carolina with the 49th pick in the second round in 2025.
Throughout two seasons at Penn State, Cerrato appeared in 61 games, totaling 22 goals and 47 assists (69 points) with 35 blocks. He was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree in 2024-25, finishing second on the team in points and leading the conference in goals, assists and points by a freshman. A long-term injury derailed an otherwise strong sophomore campaign, preventing him from competing for more conference accolades.
