PENGUINS RE-SIGN FORWARD CHRIS CONNER
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Chris Conner to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.
The deal is for the 2010-11 season and is a two-way contract that will pay Conner $550,000 at the NHL level.
Conner, 26, has played in 79 career NHL games since entering the league in 2006, posting nine goals and 24 points.
Conner, who originally signed with the Penguins on July 5, 2009, scored two goals and three points in eight games with Pittsburgh this past season, and appeared in one postseason contest. He scored two goals, one being the game-winner, in Pittsburgh’s 4-2 victory at New York against the Rangers Jan. 25 just hours after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The 5-foot-8, 180-pound forward completed his first season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2009-10, ranking second on the team in points (56) and assists (37), while chipping in 19 goals in just 59 contests. Two days before helping Pittsburgh defeat the Rangers the speedy winger tied a WBS franchise record with five points (2G-3A) in a 6-3 victory at Syracuse Jan. 23. Conner tied for the team lead with four points (2G-2A) in four postseason games.
The Westland, Michigan native spent three-plus seasons with Dallas after signing with the Stars in the summer of 2006. In 71 games with the Stars, Conner recorded seven goals and 21 points.
Conner played four seasons with Michigan Tech, posting 69 goals, 60 assists and 129 points in 151 games. He finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader in shorthanded goals (15), and was named the 2004 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Second All-Star Team.
