Hopfe will be reunited with his college teammate Jeff Gilbert, who signed with the Bucks earlier this summer.

In his four-year college career with the Colonials, Hopfe, a native of Didsbury, Alberta, scored 27 goals, with 31 assists, for 58 points in 127 games.

"Hopfe has good size, he drives to the net hard. I like his game", said Bucks Head Coach and General Manager Terry Ruskowski.

Last season the 6'1, 220 pound Hopfe scored five goals, with five assists for 10 points in 30 games as a senior with the Colonials, which also included 64 penalty minutes.

Hopfe's most productive offensive season came when he finished second on the team in scoring in his Sophomore year in 2005-06. Hopfe's 25 points in that campaign included a team-leading 13 goals, with 12 assists. Hopfe also led the Colonials with seven multi-point games that season.

"Another good thing about him is that he likes the physical aspect of the game. If he can play like he did in juniors he will be a very successful guy on our team", Ruskowski said.

Hopfe's college career with Robert Morris started off with a hat-trick in his first home game ever with the Colonials, as he garnered the USCHO.com National Offensive Player of the Week award, as well as CHA Offensive Player of the Week honors (10/25/04).

Hopfe had a stellar two-year junior career with the AJHL's Olds Grizzlys, where he captured both the team MVP and Most Popular Player Awards following the 2003-04 season.

In his two seasons combined with the Grizzly's, Hopfe made the All-Star team in each season as he racked up 64 goals, with 57 assists, for 121 points, with 579 PIM's in 118 games.

Pawelec, from Regina, Saskatchewan, played three junior seasons in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), spending his rookie year with the Melville Millionaires. Pawelec spent the last two with the Yorkton Terriers, where he served as the Team Captain last season.

In his three junior seasons combined the 6'2, 215 Pawelec, was a force, as he piled up 249 penalty minutes, to go along with 17 goals, 49 assists, and 66 points.

"Pawelec moves the puck well, he is a rough player. His game is exactly what I want from a guy like him", Ruskowski said.

Last season with the Terriers, Pawelec notched a career high with 111 penalty minutes, while putting up three goals, 17 assists for 20 points in 58 games.

Pawelec's first season with Yorkton in 2006-07 turned out to be his best offensive year, when he scored 10 goals, handed out 22 assists for 32 points, in 54 games played. In addition to his 32 points, he picked up 99 penalty minutes.

"He's going to have to show me what he can do during training camp, so he can make the roster", Ruskowski said.

With Melville in 2005-06 Pawelec knocked in four goals, with 10 assists for 14 points, in 54 games played with the Millionaires.