It's official: the New Jersey Devils have made room for the return of unrestricted free agent Brendan Shanahan, signing the veteran forward on Wednesday.
Shanahan signed an $800,000 dollar contract, meaning he will receive about half of that for playing half of the NHL season. With the move, Shanahan rejoins the club that drafted him in 1987.
He is expected to be with the team for its road game against the Blue Jackets on Friday night.
Shanahan spent the previous two seasons with the New York Rangers but was not offered a contract to remain with the club.
Shanahan, who turns 40 on January 23, became a free agent after the last season and was planning on returning to the Rangers for at least one more campaign. Rangers general manager Glen Sather repeatedly told him to hold on as the team could make room for him.
After four months of waiting, he decided to move on and his agent Rick Curran began listening to offers from other clubs.
In 20 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils, the three-time Stanley Cup champion has 650 career goals and 690 assists in 1,490 games.
More to follow.