The Colorado Avalanche, parent club of the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters, announced Monday that they have signed former AHL MVP and two-time Calder Cup champion Darren Haydar.
The Avalanche have also re-signed forwards David Jones, Chris Durno, Matt Hendricks and Brian Willsie, along with goaltender Tyler Weiman.
Haydar, 29, spent the 2008-09 campaign with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, where he led the club in goals (31), assists (49) and points (80) to finish sixth in the AHL in scoring.
A 1999 draft pick by Nashville, Haydar is one of the most decorated players in AHL history, winning two Calder Cups (2004, 2008), one MVP award (2007), one scoring title (2007) and league rookie of the year honors (2003). In 496 career games Haydar has compiled 201 goals and 335 assists for 536 points. He is also the league’s all-time playoff leader in goals (59), assists (76) and points (135).
Haydar has played in two AHL All-Star Games (2003, 2007) and posted a league-record 39-game scoring streak in 2006-07.
A native of Milton, Ont., Haydar has appeared in 22 career NHL games with Atlanta and Nashville, recording one goal and seven assists.
Jones, 24, played in 40 games for the Avalanche during the 2008-09 campaign, totaling 13 points (8g, 5a). The Guelph, Ont., native scored seven goals in his last 22 contests before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury on Jan. 27.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound right wing was Colorado’s eighth selection (ninth round, 288th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Durno, 28, played two games with the Avalanche last season after being recalled on Jan. 17. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound center skated in a team-high 76 games for Lake Erie and led the club with 18 goals.
A native of Scarborough, Ont., Durno finished second on the Monsters in both assists (27) and points (45).
Hendricks, 28, was recalled from Lake Erie twice during the 2008-09 campaign. The Blaine, Minn., native appeared in four games with the Avalanche, making his NHL debut on Mar. 10 vs. Atlanta.
Hendricks finished third on the Monsters in both goals (14) and points (29) despite missing 12 weeks of action after suffering a broken foot while blocking a shot on Oct. 25.
Willsie, 31, recorded four points (1g, 3a) in 42 games for the Avalanche after being recalled from Lake Erie on Nov. 22. He was leading the Monsters in scoring at the time of his recall with 14 points (8g, 6a) in 12 games.
Willsie, who signed with the Avalanche as a free agent on July 15, 2008, was originally Colorado’s seventh selection (sixth round, 146th overall) in the 1996 Entry Draft. The Belmont, Ont., native has tallied 108 points (52g, 56a) in 376 career games in the NHL, including 19 points (8g, 11a) in 111 games with Colorado.
Weiman, 25, led the American Hockey League with eight shutouts in 2008-09, posting a 21-20-2 record with a 2.46 GAA in 44 appearances for the Lake Erie Monsters. The Saskatoon, Sask., native was selected to the Canadian All-Star Team for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic.
Colorado’s sixth choice (fifth round, 164th overall) in the 2002 Entry Draft, Weiman has appeared in one game for the Avalanche, Oct. 4, 2007, at Nashville (16 minutes, 0 goals).
