NEW YORK RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH
FREE AGENT FORWARD RUSLAN FEDOTENKO
New York, October 4, 2010 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the Rangers have agreed to terms with free agent forward Ruslan Fedotenko.
Fedotenko, 31, skated in five pre-season contests with the Rangers, registering one goal and six assists for seven points, along with two penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. Fedotenko led the team in assists, points and plus/minus rating, and tied for second on the club with 11 shots. His six assists are also tied for sixth in the league, while his seven points are tied for 11th in the NHL.
Fedotenko is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, having helped Tampa Bay capture the title in 2003-04 and Pittsburgh in 2008-09. He established a post-season career-high with 12 goals during the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and tied for second in the NHL in goals and game-winning goals (three), and ninth in the league with 14 points in 22 playoff contests. Fedotenko tallied both Lightning goals in the Cup-clinching 2-1 victory vs. Calgary in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 7, 2004. During the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he established a career-high with seven playoff assists and tied his career-high, and ranked fourth on Pittsburgh, with 14 points in 24 contests.
Last season, he recorded 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points, along with 50 penalty minutes in 80 games with Pittsburgh. It was the seventh consecutive season, and eighth overall, the nine-year NHL veteran reached the 30-point plateau. He registered seven multi-point performances, including a three-assist effort on January 21 vs. Washington. The three assists tied his career-high for most assists and points in a single game. Fedotenko tallied his 300th career point with an assist on January 28 vs. Ottawa, and skated in his 600th NHL game on October 7 vs. Phoenix.
The 6-1, 200-pounder has skated in 677 career games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, and Pittsburgh Penguins, registering 150 goals and 158 assists for 308 points, along with 419 penalty minutes and a plus-15 rating. Fedotenko enjoyed his most productive season in 2005-06, establishing career-highs with 26 goals, 41 points and 164 shots in 80 games with Tampa Bay. In 2008-09, he tallied a career-high, 23 assists and plus-18 rating in 65 games with Pittsburgh. Fedotenko has also recorded 20 goals and 11 assists for 31 points, along with 54 penalty minutes in 83 career post-season contests with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh.
The Kiev, Ukraine native originally signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers on August 3, 1999, and made his NHL debut on October 24, 2000 vs. the Rangers. Internationally, Fedotenko has also represented his native Ukraine at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, tallying one goal and four penalty minutes in one contest.
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According to TSN, Fedotenko signs a 1 year, $1million contract.
(Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
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