TORONTO (AP) -- Unrestricted free agent center Joe Nieuwendyk signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, the first major player acquisition by new general manager John Ferguson Jr.
Nieuwendyk, who turns 37 Wednesday, played with the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils last season. It was the third Cup for Nieuwendyk, who made $5 million in 2002-03.
Rick Curran, Nieuwendyk's agent, said the Maple Leafs phoned him with a proposal late Tuesday which he passed along to Nieuwendyk.
``Joe quickly looked at it and accepted it,'' Curran said.
No terms were given.
The only free agent of note signed by the Maple Leafs before Ferguson's hiring on Aug. 29 was hard-nosed defenseman Bryan Marchment.
Curran said there had been few talks before Tuesday's offer led to the deal.
``It just happened,'' he said.
Nieuwendyk had 14 goals and 28 assists in 80 games with Devils last season and added three goals and six assists in 17 playoff games.
A solid two-way player, Nieuwendyk tried to play with a sore hip in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against Ottawa. He missed all of the Stanley Cup finals.
Nieuwendyk will probably center the Maple Leafs' second line with captain Mats Sundin on the first.
Nieuwendyk has played in 1,113 NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and Devils, scoring 511 goals with 501 assists. In 149 career playoff games he has 60 goals and 50 assists.
Nieuwendyk also won the Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989 and Dallas in 1999.
He was also a member of Canada's gold-medal winning team at the 2002 Olympics
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Every team he played for won a cup. Start planing the parade!
Difference: All the teams Nieuwendyk won the Cup with were GOOD TEAMS. The Leafs are an old, fading collection of mediocre players who got beaten down pretty decidedly in the first round last year. Take that group and subtract Glen Wesley, Robert Svehla, and Jonas Hoglund and add Bryan Marchment....and that's supposed to be a team that Joe Nieuwendyk at 37 years old can lead to a Stanley Cup? I'm sure that will be the spin coming out of Toronto, but I'm equally sure that this is not going to make a lick of difference.
Originally posted by BigVitoMarkDifference: All the teams Nieuwendyk won the Cup with were GOOD TEAMS. The Leafs are an old, fading collection of mediocre players who got beaten down pretty decidedly in the first round last year. Take that group and subtract Glen Wesley, Robert Svehla, and Jonas Hoglund and add Bryan Marchment....and that's supposed to be a team that Joe Nieuwendyk at 37 years old can lead to a Stanley Cup? I'm sure that will be the spin coming out of Toronto, but I'm equally sure that this is not going to make a lick of difference.
*Single tear* You mean...the Flames were a good team?
Your winner and 3-time Stanley Cup Champion...the New Jersey Devils! Their title defense begins in 4 months!
I know, I still have trouble believing it myself sometimes...Gary Roberts could score...Al MacInnis could move...Theo Fleury was sober...who woulda thought?
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