DANDENAULT TO HARTFORD

Steve Zipay in reporting in his Blue Notes blog that Mathieu Dandenault, 33, who can play forward or defense will be joining the Hartford Wolf Pack on a Professional Try-Out contract. The 13 year veteran last played for the San Jose Sharks but was released due to salary cap issues when the team acquired Dany Heatley with the intent of seeing if he could possibly become the Rangers 7th defenseman. Dandenault is a long time Detroit Red Wing and Montreal Canadien and should be reporting to the team shortly.

Here's the official release from the club:

WOLF PACK SIGN MATHIEU DANDENAULT TO PTO

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Three-time Stanley Cup-winner has 868 Games of NHL Experience

Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed 15th-year pro Mathieu Dandenault to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.

Dandenault, 6-0 and 208 pounds, can play both defense and right wing. He comes to the Wolf Pack with 868 NHL games on his resume and three Stanley Cups, all won with the Detroit Red Wings.

The 33-year-old Dandenault, a native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, has spent the last four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. Last year saw him play 41 games, scoring four goals and adding eight assists for 12 points and posting 17 penalty minutes.

Prior to his tenure with Montreal, Dandenault spent the first nine seasons of his pro career with Detroit and was a member of Stanley Cup-winning Red Wing teams in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 2001-02.

In 868 career NHL games with Detroit and Montreal, Dandenault has totaled 68 goals and 135 assists for 203 points, along with 516 penalty minutes. He was originally a second-round selection (49th overall) by Detroit in the 1994 NHL Draft, from Sherbrooke of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Dandenault’s only previous minor-pro experience was four AHL games with the Adirondack Red Wings in his rookie season, 1995-96.

(Photo courtesy of hockeyforum.com)