Olausson Comes Back to Ducks

Veteran defenseman Fredrik Olausson signed a one-year contract, plus a team option, with the Ducks on Friday.

The contract calls for a base salary of $1.1 million with an incentive clause that would drive the total higher if Olausson plays at least 70 games next season.

“Freddy can bring offense to our team,” General Manager Bryan Murray said. “He also brings experience to the dressing room, which will help show our young players how they have to play.”

Olausson, a 15-year veteran, returns to the Ducks for the third time. He played for the Ducks during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, then returned to the team from 1998-2000.

He won his first Stanley Cup with Detroit last season, but he told Red Wing officials he planned to return to his native Sweden and had signed a contract to play with Farjestads in the Swedish league. The Red Wings also attempted to re-sign him.

Murray is banking that Olausson’s puck-handling skills and power-play abilities can help offset the loss of defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky, who was traded to New Jersey last week.

“It was a very exciting year for me last season,” said Olausson, who will turn 36 in October. “I had a little change of mind. When the Ducks called and asked [if I] wanted to come there, I thought this was a new challenge for me.”

The Ducks had the worst power play in the NHL and only Columbus scored fewer goals. In 1998-99, Olausson had 10 power-play goals for the Ducks, who had the NHL’s best power-play unit that season.

Olausson, Petr Sykora and center Adam Oates, another Duck free-agent signing, bring plenty of power play and playoff experience.

“As a player, this shows us they are trying to make positive moves,” Duck defenseman Keith Carney said.

Olausson, who has 145 career goals, was sidelined because of a severe case of flu in January. He finished the season with two goals and 15 points in 47 games, averaging 16 minutes per game. He did make a significant contribution in the playoffs, including an overtime goal against Colorado in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

In other news, Murray said he was confident that forward Stanislav Chistov, the Ducks’ No. 1 pick in 2001, would be signed by Monday. Teams have until Monday to sign European players. The deadline can be extended to Aug. 15 if the team pays a substantial fee.

Chris Foster

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Tie Domi agreed to terms of a three-year contract to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last season, Domi, 32, became Toronto’s career leader in penalty minutes with 1,777.... New York Ranger forward Steve McKenna has signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. McKenna, a former King, had two goals and 144 penalty minutes in 54 games with the Rangers.

Associated Press