RALEIGH, N.C., July 31 -- After a shaky season with the New York Rangers, five-time All-Star Kevin Hatcher headed to his third team in as many years Monday, signing a multi-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the Hurricanes, who continued an offseason makeover of their backline.
The Hurricanes signed Sandis Ozolinsh, one of the NHL's premier offensive defenseman, to a five-year, $25.5 million contract last Monday. They got him from Colorado last month.
Hatcher will be counted on to help Ozolinsh in the transition game, especially since the Hurricanes lost free agents Sean Hill and Paul Coffey, their top puck-carrying defensemen who combined for 24 goals last season.
Carolina was 37-35-10 in the 1999-2000 campaign but finished one point behind Buffalo for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
The 33-year-old Hatcher failed to support offensive defenseman Brian Leetch with the Rangers last season, managing just four goals and 19 assists with a plus-minus of minus-10 in 74 games. The Rangers had acquired Hatcher from the Pittsburgh Penguins last September for defenseman Peter Popovic.
A first-round pick in 1984, Hatcher played the first nine seasons of his 15-year career with the Washington Capitals and established himself as one of the league's top offensive defensemen.
In the 1992-93 season, Hatcher became the seventh defenseman in NHL history to score 30 or more goals, finishing with 34 and adding 45 assists for a career-best 79 points.
The Capitals traded Hatcher to Dallas in 1994, where he joined his brother Derian. After recording 25 goals and 45 assists in two seasons with the Stars, Kevin Hatcher was dealt to Pittsburgh for defenseman Sergei Zubov in June 1996.
Hatcher led Pittsburgh defenseman in scoring in each of his three seasons with the team, compiling 45 goals and 98 assists.
