The Phoenix Coyotes signed a pair of prospects to three-year, entry-level contracts on Thursday, signing forward Chris Brown and goaltender Mike Lee.

Brown, a native of Flower Mound, Texas, which is a suburb located northwest of Dallas/Fort Worth, is forgoing his senior year at Michigan to sign with the Coyotes. He was the first player ever recruited from Texas to play for the Wolverines.

Brown, 21, was drafted by the Coyotes in the second round (#36 overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and appeared in 125 games in three seasons at Michigan where he scored 34 goals, 46 assists for 80 points in 125 regular season games including last season where he posted 12 goals, 17 assists for 29 points in 38 games.

Michigan would lose in the NCAA Midwest Regional to Cornell, 3-2, in overtime.

Prior to coming to Michigan, he played for the United States U-18 team, winning a goal medal in the 2009 IIHF U18 World Championships. He finished the tournament with four goals, three assists for seven points in seven games.

He’d follow that up two years later at the 2011 World Junior Tournament in Buffalo, New York by winning the bronze medal after scoring three points (2g, 1a) in six games.

Brown, who is 6-2, 200-pounds, is expected to join the Portland Pirates, the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, after finishing up some last minute items at Michigan.

Lee was also signed to an entry-level deal on Thursday, but he is not expected to join the Pirates until next season.

The 21-year-old goaltender played for St. Cloud State where he appeared in 16 games, recording an 8-6-2 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .930 save percentage.

The Roseau, Minnesota native, like Brown, is forgoing his senior season to sign with the Coyotes, adding to an already crowded crease area with Mark Visentin and Louis Domingue also under contract.

It’s expected that Visentin and Domingue will compete for a spot on the Pirates roster next season, but with Lee under contract that opens the door for either Visentin or Domingue to go back to juniors if they shouldn’t earn a spot on the NHL roster or in the AHL with Portland.

Visentin is in his fourth season with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL where he posted a league record 10 shutouts this season, going 30-9-2 with a 1.99GAA and a .926 save percentage. Visentin and the IceDogs are currently tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series with the Oshawa General. Game five is scheduled for Saturday.

Domingue, like Visentin, is also in his fourth season, playing for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, owned by NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, who also is also the coach. The Remparts currently lead their best-of-seven playoff series, 3-0, over the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

In 39 games with the Remparts, Domingue went 23-8-4 with a 2.61GAA and .914 save percentage.

Brown, 6-1, 195-pounds, has played 74 games for St. Cloud State, posting a 32-29-9 record with a 2.59GAA and a .919 save percentage as well as playing for the US National Team that won the gold medal in the 2010 World Jr. Championship.

Lee, a third round selection (#91 overall) of the Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, finished the tournament, 4-0 with a 2.50GAA and a .908 save percentage.