Ducks confirm Scott Niedermayer deal
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Update: The paperwork is done, and Scott Niedermayer’s one-year deal to stay with the Ducks for $6 million plus bonuses is official.
Niedermayer told Canada’s TSN that ‘there wasn’t a lot’ of consideration on his part about playing anywhere else next season because he didn’t want to disrupt his family. ‘The kids are getting older and we’re fairly comfortable where we are,’ he said. ‘We’ve enjoyed it there. The team’s been good to us.’
Some excerpts from the Ducks’ press release:
‘Keeping Scott Niedermayer in an Anaheim Ducks jersey was paramount for our club,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. “We’re extremely pleased he’s chosen to remain with us and look forward to another great season from a Hall of Fame-bound player.’
Niedermayer, 35, played in all 82 games last season and had 14-45=59 points with 70 penalty minutes. He was third among NHL defensemen in points and assists and was third overall in total time on ice (2,182:29 TOI) and average time on ice, 26:56. He became Anaheim’s leading all-time scorer among defensemen in his fourth season with the Ducks last year, recording his 171st point as a Duck (assist) on Dec. 3 at Chicago (now has 216 points as a Duck). In 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Niedermayer earned 3-7=10 points with 11 PIM, finishing tied for third among team leaders in scoring.
Signed as a free agent on Aug. 4, 2005, Niedermayer helped lead Anaheim to its first Stanley Cup championship in 2007, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2007 playoffs. In 291 career NHL games with the Ducks, Niedermayer has collected 50-166=216 points with a +4 rating and 268 PIM. He has been named to the NHL Western Conference All-Star Team in the last three consecutive seasons and was honored as a First Team NHL All-Star in 2006 and 2007.
A native of Cranbrook, Canada, Niedermayer has won four Stanley Cup championships since making his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils during the 1991-92 season. He is the only player in hockey history to have won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, World Championship, World Cup, Memorial Cup and World Junior title. Niedermayer was named a Norris Trophy finalist for three straight seasons, winning the award in 2004.
He has been named to a conference All-Star team six times during his NHL career (1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and produced 12 overtime goals, the most all-time by an NHL defenseman.
Originally selected by New Jersey in the first round (third overall) of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Niedermayer has split his 18-season NHL career with the Devils (1991-2004) and Ducks (2005-09). In 1,101 career NHL games, Niedermayer has recorded 162-530=692 points with a +176 rating and 746 PIM.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports
-- Helene Elliott
Scott Niedermayer hoists the Stanley Cup after being named MVP for the series in 2007. Photo credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times.