CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former Carolina Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose is returning to professional hockey after a year’s absence.
The National Hockey League (NHL) team’s affiliate club, the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL) announced on Tuesday that it had signed LaRose to a one-year minor-league deal.
No financial terms of the AHL contract were included in the team’s release.
Coming out of junior hockey as an undrafted free agent, LaRose, 32, holds 508 career NHL games to his credit, all played with Carolina between the 2005-2013 seasons.
A member of Carolina’s 2006 Stanley Cup championship team in his first NHL season, he tallied 180 points (85g, 95a) before not returning to the club after scoring four points in 35 games during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 year.
LaRose’s AHL career totals include 83 points (41g, 42a) in 125 career games, including 25 points tallied in 23 games with Lowell during the initial portion of the 2005-06 season preceding his recall to Carolina.
“For us, he’ll be a top player,” Checkers head coach Jeff Daniels said of signing the former NHL veteran.
“He’s a guy that has scored at the NHL level.”