Penguins/NHL
The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forwards Wade Brookbank and Wyatt Smith to one-year contracts. Both contracts are two way deals and both players will begin the season in Wilkes Barre.
Brookbank, 31, registered one goal and 40 penalty minutes in 27 games with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008-09. The 6-4, 225-pound winger also spent part of the season with Norfolk of the AHL, recording one assist and 46 penalty minutes in 24 games.
Brookbank has appeared in 127 career NHL games over parts of four seasons with Nashville, Vancouver, Boston and Carolina. He was part of the Penguins organization in 2006-07, when he had one goal and 116 penalty minutes in 39 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. He is a native of Lanigan, Saskatchewan.
Smith, 32, appeared in a combined 71 games with San Antonio and Norfolk of the AHL in 2008-09, tallying 19 goals and 47 points in addition to 71 penalty minutes.
The 5-11, 205-pound center has played parts of eight NHL seasons with Phoenix, Nashville, the New York Islanders, Minnesota and Colorado. Smith has recorded 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) 65 penalty minutes in 211 career NHL games. He is a native of Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
