Brian Dumoulin and Justin Faulk once were a defensive pairing for Team USA in the 2011 World Junior Championship.

Now, Dumoulin hopes to follow Faulk’s lead and quickly join him on the blue line for the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canes on Tuesday signed Dumoulin, who helped Boston College win a pair of NCAA titles, to a three-year, entry-level contract.

If he’s in the NHL, Dumoulin will receive $700,000 in 2012-13, $725,000 in 2013-14 and $800,000 in 2014-15. At the AHL level, he would be paid $67,500 in all three years.

Dumoulin, 20, received a signing bonus of $270,000. He was immediately sent to join the Charlotte Checkers, the Canes’ American Hockey League affiliate, on an amateur tryout basis.

A year ago, Faulk starred as a freshman for Minnesota-Duluth, the 2011 NCAA champion. Days after winning the title, he joined the Checkers and played in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs.

Faulk made the Hurricanes’ roster out of training camp, spent most of this season with the NHL team and emerged as one of the league’s best rookies. The Canes are hoping Dumoulin can do the same.

Dumoulin, bigger than Faulk at 6 feet 4 and 210 pounds, was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award this season as the nation’s best collegiate player. The Eagles won their second NCAA title in three years as Dumoulin led the team’s defensemen in scoring with seven goals and 21 assists in 44 games.

Dumoulin, from Biddeford, Maine, was the Hurricanes’ second pick (51st overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Deciding to play college hockey, he was a big part of BC’s run to the 2010 NCAA championship as a freshman.

In 123 career games with the Eagles, he had a plus-90 plus/minus rating.