The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that it has signed forward Tom Fritsche and defenseman Nigel Williams each to an entry-level contract. Williams, 20, helped the Ontario Hockey League?s Belleville Bulls reach the Memorial Cup this past year after joining the team at midseason from Saginaw. He finished tied for fifth among league defensemen in goals with 15, while tallying 46 points in 67 combined games between the two clubs. The 6-foot-4, 226-pound native of Aurora, Illinois also racked up 100 minutes in penalties. He went on to finish second among OHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 18 points (7g/11a) in 21 postseason contests. ?Nigel finished the year strong, helping his team get to the Memorial Cup,? said Avalanche Vice President of Hockey Operations Craig Billington. ?He participated in our development camp last month, and after two solid seasons at the junior level, we feel he is ready to take that next step in his development.?