S. Korean hockey team signs former NHL defenseman

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean team in a continental hockey league announced on Tuesday it has signed a former National Hockey League (NHL) defenseman to a multi-year contract.
Anyang Halla, the two-time defending champion in Asia League Ice Hockey (ALIH), inked former NHL rearguard Ric Jackman to a three-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The hard-nosed defender is one of the high-profile signings this offseason in the league. Jackman played 213 games in the NHL with six different clubs, putting up 19 goals and 58 assists with 166 penalty in minutes.
Jackman won the Stanley Cup, the annual NHL championship, with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He is one of only four past imports in the ALIH with a Stanley Cup ring, according to Anyang.
Jackman was drafted fifth overall by the Dallas Stars in 1996. He is the highest NHL draft pick to join the Asian league, Anyang said.
The 33-year-old spent the last season with the HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia. The journeyman has also played in Sweden and Austria.
"I would've wanted to stay in Europe but there's an economic crunch going on," Jackman said through the team's statement. "It's a great chance for me to see a different part of the hockey world. It's a great opportunity for me and my family to come to Asia. I can bring leadership, experience and some offense as well as physical presence on the blue line."
Yang Seung-jun, Anyang's general manager, said the team was "excited" to have Jackman and the key was to help him adjust to life in a new country.
Samuel Kim, the team's scout, told Yonhap News Agency that the former NHLer still "has a lot of gas left in his tank."
"He is very physical, can play the body and that's what we wanted," Kim said. "We needed to get mean and nasty. With Jackman's addition, we are able to beef up the blue line."
The ALIH was founded in 2003, bringing together teams from South Korea, Japan and China. Currently, four Japanese, two Korean and one Chinese teams are in the league.
Teams can carry up to three imports. Some high-profile ex-NHL players who've played in Asia include forwards Esa Tikkanen, Shjon Podein and Derek Plante and goaltender Jamie McLennan.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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