talkingcanes
01-09-2004, 12:32 PM
CLIFF RONNING SIGNED!
Veteran Playmaker Signed For Rest of Season
(Jan. 9) Strengthening their roster in the wake of injuries to key forwards Alexei Yashin and Mark Parrish, the Islanders have signed free agent center Cliff Ronning to a contract for the remainder of the season. The 38-year old Ronning has been a successful playmaking center in the NHL for the last 17 seasons. In 1,097 games, Ronning has 297 goals and 548 assists for 845 points. In 80 regular season games last season with the Minnesota Wild, Ronning was 17-31-48. The smooth-passing and left-shot Ronning also had two goals and seven assists in 17 playoff games as the Wild advanced to the Western Conference Final.
"Cliff is a proven point-producer," said Islanders general manager Mike Milbury. "With two of our top scorers out, we were fortunate Cliff was available as a free agent and showed such a strong desire to be an Islander. His experience and work on the power play will be great assets for us."
In his last eight seasons, the native of Burnaby, B.C. has averaged 57 points per season. He was Nashville's leading scorer in each of his four seasons from 1999-2002 and was second in scoring to Marian Gaborik last season in Minnesota. After 17 years in the NHL, Ronning will be making his debut with an Eastern Conference franchise. Initially drafted by St. Louis in the seventh round in 1984, the 5-8, 170-pound pivot has played for the Blues, Vancouver, Phoenix, Nashville, Los Angeles and Minnesota. He was a teammate of Islanders Michael Peca and Adrian Aucoin briefly in the mid-'90s with Vancouver.
Ronning is expected to arrive on Long Island this evening and begin skating on Saturday. The date of his Islanders debut has yet to be determined.
Veteran Playmaker Signed For Rest of Season
(Jan. 9) Strengthening their roster in the wake of injuries to key forwards Alexei Yashin and Mark Parrish, the Islanders have signed free agent center Cliff Ronning to a contract for the remainder of the season. The 38-year old Ronning has been a successful playmaking center in the NHL for the last 17 seasons. In 1,097 games, Ronning has 297 goals and 548 assists for 845 points. In 80 regular season games last season with the Minnesota Wild, Ronning was 17-31-48. The smooth-passing and left-shot Ronning also had two goals and seven assists in 17 playoff games as the Wild advanced to the Western Conference Final.
"Cliff is a proven point-producer," said Islanders general manager Mike Milbury. "With two of our top scorers out, we were fortunate Cliff was available as a free agent and showed such a strong desire to be an Islander. His experience and work on the power play will be great assets for us."
In his last eight seasons, the native of Burnaby, B.C. has averaged 57 points per season. He was Nashville's leading scorer in each of his four seasons from 1999-2002 and was second in scoring to Marian Gaborik last season in Minnesota. After 17 years in the NHL, Ronning will be making his debut with an Eastern Conference franchise. Initially drafted by St. Louis in the seventh round in 1984, the 5-8, 170-pound pivot has played for the Blues, Vancouver, Phoenix, Nashville, Los Angeles and Minnesota. He was a teammate of Islanders Michael Peca and Adrian Aucoin briefly in the mid-'90s with Vancouver.
Ronning is expected to arrive on Long Island this evening and begin skating on Saturday. The date of his Islanders debut has yet to be determined.