Rivermen ink two-time champ Arsene

The St. Louis Blues, parent club of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen, have signed defenseman Dean Arsene to a two-way contract, executive vice president and general manager Doug Armstrong announced Wednesday.

Arsene, 30, spent last season between the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Springfield Falcons and the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Edmonton Oilers, serving as captain of the Falcons during his time in the AHL.

In 56 games with Springfield, the 6-2, 195-pound defenseman tallied two goals and nine assists for 11 points to go along with 100 penalty minutes.

A native of Murrayville, B.C., Arsene recorded 41 penalty minutes in 13 games with Edmonton last season during his first career NHL stint.

Prior to 2009-10, he enjoyed a seven-year AHL career including six seasons with the Hershey Bears and one with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

In total, Arsene has dressed in 373 AHL games registering 10 goals and 48 assists for 58 points to accompany 868 penalty minutes, and he was a member of the Bears’ Calder Cup championship teams in both 2006 and 2009, and the team which fell in the 2007 Calder Cup Finals.