Matt Hendricks Signs One-Year Contract with the Capitals

Former Av Matt Hendricks shares a moment with Kings' winger Rich Clune.

Rugged forward Matt Hendricks made quite an impression during his pre-season tryout with the Capitals, as the team just announced his signing to a one-year contract. You'll remember he netted a hat-trick in his first appearance in a Capital's sweater in a pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Here's more information on Hendricks from the press release:

29 year-old Matt Hendricks, a 6’0’’, 215-pound native of Blaine, Minn., registered nine goals, seven assists and 74 penalty minutes in 56 games for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2009-10 NHL season. He was invited to the Washington Capitals’ training camp on a tryout basis and has wasted little time acclimating himself to Washington, leading the Capitals to their first preseason win with a hat trick in a 6-2 victory at Columbus.

Hendricks played for Capitals’ head coach Bruce Boudreau as a member of the Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears in 2006-07. He recorded 18 goals and 26 assists for a total of 44 points in 65 regular season games that year. He also appeared in 19 AHL playoff matches that season, scoring eight goals and registering four assists.

And in other puck-related ponderings, the cry of "lights, cameras, action" is already reverberating around the rinks of Kettler Capitals Iceplex. HBO is already hard at work, getting quips from the players and coaches and feeling their way around the locker room for the upcoming 24/7 series (HM is going to go ahead and dub it a mini-drama slash sitcom - I mean we will be hearing from Matt Bradley after all). Puck the Media has some thoughts on how this program can  either help or hinder the NHL.

And you probably know by now that the Vancouver Canucks are my second team. Former Capital Brendan Morrison is apparently having a nice tryout himself out west and is rumored to be close to signing a contract with the team. Morrison has a soft spot for Vancouver, where he spent a large part of his career.