Calvin de Haan signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
The 31-year-old defenseman had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 69 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season and was an unrestricted free agent. He had been in Hurricanes training camp on a professional tryout contract.
“I took a PTO here for a reason. I want to be here, and this team has got championships on their mind,” de Haan said. “I’m on the older side of hockey age now so I want a chance to win, and this team has got a good opportunity. I think I can help and be a part of this team, just like the time we went to the (Eastern) Conference Final (in 2019).”
De Haan signed a four-year contract with the Hurricanes on July 3, 2018, scoring 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 74 games in 2018-19 before he was traded to the Blackhawks on June 25, 2019.
“We obviously knew Calvin from his previous time in Carolina,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. “We like what we’ve seen from him in camp and saw this as an opportunity to increase our depth on the back end.”
Selected by the New York Islanders in the first round (No. 12) of the 2009 NHL Draft, de Haan has 119 points (19 goals, 100 assists) in 520 regular-season games with the Blackhawks, Hurricanes and Islanders, and five points. (one goal, four assists) in 37 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“He’s a veteran presence on the blue line,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We all know the game is about keeping the puck out of your own net. You’ve got to have it. There’s a guy who’s been around, and obviously he’s been here before. He understands how we want to play and he’s a guy. you can count on. I think that’s what he’s all about.”
NHL.com independent correspondent Kurt Dusterberg contributed to this report
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