New Winnipeg Jets sign Tampa Bay Lightning’s Randy Jones and Manitoba Moose’s Rick Rypien –NHL Update
Winnipeg Jets made some hefty moves on Monday as they announced the signings of six players from different places including city locals. Out of those six, the most notable were Tampa Bay Lightning’s Randy Jones and Manitoba Moose's centre, Rick Rypien.
Both Jones and Rypien have agreed to join Winnipeg Jets with a one-year contract worth $1.15 million and $700,000, respectively.
Having played a single season with Tampa Bay Lightning, Jones is excited to be signing on for a Canadian NHL franchise, which is bound to boom.
"I think it's great", Jones said on a conference call being asked about his feelings. "Obviously any Canadian city with an NHL team is going to excel. I can tell that the fans are pretty eager to get a team back there and I'm sure they're anxious to get
the season kind of going”.
Jones, a 29-year-old from Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada, played 61 games with Tampa Bay last season and registered 13 points, a goal and 12 assists, and could not reach an agreement with Lightning's management after becoming a free agent on Friday, July
1.
Beginning his career with Philadelphia Flyers in 2003, he continued to play with them for five seasons until signing with Los Angeles Kings for a single season following a deal with Tampa Bay.
Jones believes that he is also a very dedicated defensive player and can perform in different situations which in the end are beneficial to a new team like Winnipeg.
“This year it kind of flip-flopped. It was more a defensive role”, Jones said. “I was on the No. 1 penalty-killing unit and played against the top lines. Whatever role the coach has for me I’m willing to accept and do it the best I can”.
Rypien, on the other hand, has played for Manitoba Moose for over four seasons and went back and forth with its now former NHL affiliate team, Vancouver Canucks, to play in the major league.
Now having participated in six NHL seasons with Vancouver, Rypien has played 119 games and has registered 16 points, 9 goals and 7 assists.
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