Close begins his professional career with the Icemen after posting 48 wins with 10 shutouts, a 2.19 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage during the past two seasons at the University of Minnesota.
The 26-year-old compiled an overall record of 62-25-6 with 13 shutouts, a 2.11 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage from 2021-24 with the Golden Gophers.
The Kindersley, Saskatchewan resident was twice named as an honorable mention to the Big-10 Conference All-Star Team in 2022 and 2024, while receiving conference Second Team All-Star honors in 2023. In addition, Close helped guide Minnesota to two conference regular season championships in 2022 and 2023.