The Washington Capitals, parent club of the AHL’s Hershey Bears, have signed free agent center Keith Aucoin to a two-year contract.
Aucoin, 29, split last season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL). He played 38 games for both teams and tallied 13 points (5-8-13) for Carolina and 45 points (8-37-45) for Albany, which tied him for third-most on the River Rats.
A native of Waltham, Mass., Aucoin has averaged nearly a point per game in his AHL career, totaling 433 points (134-299-433) in 435 games for Lowell, Providence, Cincinnati, and Albany.
Aucoin has twice been named to the AHL’s Second All-Star Team (2005-06, 2006-07), and he has participated in the AHL All-Star Game three years running (2006-08), including a stint as captain of the PlanetUSA team in 2008.
The 5-9, 187-pound Aucoin has also played in 53 career NHL games, all with the Hurricanes, and has totaled 15 points (5-10-15) and 14 penalty minutes.
Prior to turning professional, Aucoin played four years of collegiate hockey at Norwich University, where he became the school’s all-time leader in goals (114), assists (124) and points (238).
