The Monreal Canadiens have signed defencemen P.K. Subban and Andre Benoit, GM Bob Gainey announced on Wednesday.
Subban signed a three-year contract through 2011-12, while Benoit inked a one-year, two-way contract for the 2009-10 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
Toronto native Subban was a second-round selection of the Habs (43rd overall) in 2007.
The 6'0, 202-pound blueliner spent last season with the OHL's Belleville Bulls, finishing with 14 goals and 62 assists for 76 points, good enough to tie him for second among OHL defencemen in scoring. He was also a plus-47 on the Eastern Conference champion Bulls, and finished as a runner-up to the Windsor Spitfires' Ryan Ellis for Most Outstanding Defenceman.
Subban, who turned 20 on the day of the announcement, was also captain of the Eastern Conference team at the OHL All-Star game.
Subban is probably best known for winning two straight gold medals with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship.
Benoit, 25, was signed as a free agent by the Canadiens on January 9, 2006. He spent the last two seasons in Europe, playing in Tappara Tampere (Finnish Elite League) in 2007-08 and in Sodertalje SK in 2008-09. Prior to that, Benoit spent two seasons with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs from 2005 to 2007, when the team won the Calder Cup.
