Canadiens Sign Ex-Bulldogs Defencemen Alex Henry
July 3, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release
MONTREAL, Quebec - Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of free agent defenceman Alex Henry to a one-year, two-way American Hockey League / National Hockey League contract for the 2008-2009 season. The Club also announced the signing of goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to a two-year, two-way AHL / NHL contract for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
Henry, 28, spent three seasons in Hamilton from 1999-2002. In 185 regular season games with the Bulldogs, the Elliot Lake, Ontario native produced 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) and 299 penalty minutes. Since leaving Hamilton, the 6'5", 220-pound defenceman has played in 175 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers (2002-2003), Washington Capitals (2002-2003) and Minnesota Wild (2003-2004, 2005-2006) and in 147 AHL games with the Portland Pirates (2002-2003) and Milwaukee Admirals (2006-2008). Henry, who served as Milwaukee's team captain in 2007-2008, competed in all of the Admirals' 80 regular season contests and registered a career-high 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) in addition to accumulating 142 penalty minutes and a +7 rating.
Selected in the third round, 67th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Henry has compiled 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and 259 penalty minutes in 175 career regular season NHL games and 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) and 507 penalty minutes in 332 career regular season AHL games.
Desjardins, 22, has split his first two seasons as a professional between the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones. In 2007-2008, the Edmunston, New Brunswick native appeared in 12 regular season games with Hamilton where he finished the season with a 4-4-1 record, a 3.04 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. In 22 regular season games with Cincinnati, the 6'0", 192-pound goaltender helped the Cyclones capture the Brabham Cup (awarded to the ECHL's regular season champion) by compiling a 16-4-2 record with a 1.92 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and a league-leading five shutouts. In the post-season, Desjardins was named Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs after he backstopped Cincinnati to their first-ever ECHL championship with an 11-4-0 record, a league-best 1.84 goals against average, a Kelly Cup Playoff-leading .939 save percentage and one shutout.
In 15 career regular season AHL games, all with the Bulldogs, Desjardins has a 4-6-1 record, a 3.03 goals against average and a .904 save percentage while in 66 career regular season ECHL games, all with the Cyclones, the goaltender has a 40-23-3 record, a 2.33 goals against average, a .923 save percentage and nine shutouts.
Prior to turning professional, Desjardins spent four years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Rimouski Oceanic (2002-2005) and Quebec Remparts (2005-2006). Desjardins participated the Canadian Hockey League's 2005 and 2006 Memorial Cup Championships and was named the tournament's top goaltender and to the tournament's all-star team after he helped Quebec capture the championship in 2006.
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 84 percent of today's NHL players are AHL graduates, and for the seventh year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2007-2008.
2008-2009 Hamilton Bulldogs season tickets are now available! For more information, call 905-529-8500 or visit www.hamiltonbulldogs.com.
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