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Capitals Re-Sign Ciernik, Murphy and Whitfield

July 24, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Portland Pirates News Release


PORTLAND, ME - The Portland Pirates announced today that the Washington Capitals, their National Hockey League affiliate, have re-signed restricted free agents Ivan Ciernik, Mark Murphy and Trent Whitfield for the 2002-03 season. All three played for the Pirates during the 2001-02 season. The Capitals also signed free agent defenseman Chris Hajt. All will try to earn jobs with the Capitals when Washington opens training camp in September.

In 2001-02, Ciernik (CHUR-nik) played 26 games for the Pirates after the Capitals claimed him off waivers on January 19th. Ciernik, 24, started the season with the Ottawa Senators and recorded a goal and two assists (3 points) in 23 NHL games. The Levice, Slovakia, native played two games in Grand Rapids under new Washington coach Bruce Cassidy before the Capitals claimed the 6' 1", 235-pound left wing and assigned him to Portland. Ciernik was a healthy extra seven times for Washington last season.

Murphy, a 5' 11", 202-pound left wing, ranked second among Portland scorers last season with 20 goals and 37 assists (57 points) in 77 games. The Stoughton, Massachusetts, native led the Pirates with 29 goals and 70 points in 2000-01. Murphy, 25, was undrafted following four seasons of collegiate hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and split his first professional season, 1999-2000, between Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia of the AHL and the Trenton Titans of the East Coast Hockey League where he played for Cassidy.

Whitfield, 25, recorded one assist and 28 penalty minutes in 24 games with the Capitals in 2001-02. He played one game for the New York Rangers last season after being claimed off waivers on January 16th. The Capitals reacquired the 6' 0", 222-pound right wing Feb. 1 and assigned him to Portland where he notched 14 goals and 20 assists (34 points) in 45 games. Washington signed the native of Estevan, Saskatchewan as a free agent out of Spokane of the Western Hockey League on September 1, 1998.

Last season, Hajt (Hite), 24, played 39 games for Hamilton of the AHL, recording two goals, three assists (5 points) and 34 penalty minutes. The Edmonton Oilers drafted the 6' 3", 206-pound native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 32nd overall in 1996 following his first two seasons with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League.

Murphy, Whitfield and Hajt's contracts each bind them to the Capitals' organization for the 2002-03 season, while Ciernik's includes a club option for 2003-04.



American Hockey League Stories from July 24, 2002


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