The Washington Capitals, parent club of the AHL’s Hershey Bears, have signed defenseman Lawrence Nycholat. In keeping with club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Last season Nycholat was voted by AHL fans as a starter in the 2005 AHL All-Star Classic. He led all Hartford Wolf Pack defensemen in scoring with 43 points (5g, 38a) and was fourth on the team in that category. In 304 career AHL games, Nycholat has a plus-69 rating to go along with 27 goals and 112 assists for 139 points.
Nycholat, 26, was originally signed as a free agent by Minnesota on Aug. 31, 2000. He was traded to the Rangers in exchange for goaltender Johan Holmqvist on March 11, 2003. The 6-foot, 192-pound native of Calgary recorded no points and six penalty minutes in nine games with the Rangers in 2003-04, his only NHL action.
Nycholat helped Houston to the Western Conference finals in 2002, and reached the Eastern Conference finals with Hartford in 2004.
