The Columbus Blue Jackets, parent club of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, announced today that they have signed free agent left wing Craig MacDonald to a one-year, two-way contract and re-signed center Derek MacKenzie to a two-year, two-way contract.
MacDonald, 31 appeared in 65 games for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning last season, notching 11 points (2-9-11) and 16 penalty minutes. He also skated in seven games for the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals and tallied 11 points (3-8-11) and eight penalty minutes.
In all, MacDonald has appeared in 225 combined NHL games with Carolina, Florida, Boston, Calgary, Chicago and Tampa Bay, netting 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points and 91 penalty minutes.
The 6-1, 202-pound MacDonald has also skated in 320 combined AHL games with New Haven, Lowell, San Antonio, Omaha, and Norfolk, collecting 79 goals and 143 assists for 222 points and 394 penalty minutes.
MacKenzie, 27, appeared in 62 games for the Crunch last season, tying for the team high with 25 goals while ranking fourth with 49 points and adding 46 penalty minutes. He also skated in 17 games with Columbus last year, notching two goals and eight penalty minutes.
Prior to the 2007-08 campaign, MacKenzie spent six seasons in the Atlanta Thrashers organization and appeared in 28 NHL games, picking up two assists. He played in 377 career games with the Chicago Wolves, Atlanta’s AHL affiliate, racking up 184 points (83-101-184) and 441 penalty minutes. He won a Calder Cup championship as a member of the Wolves in 2002.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, MacKenzie was originally drafted by Atlanta in 1999.
